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08/30/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) France Pushes Ahead with Cyprus Question pre Turkey-EU Talks 2) ANCA Sets Record Straight in Face of Continued Azeri Misinformation on Mountainous Karabagh 3) No Breakthrough in Kazan, Says FM Okanian 4) Cascade Credit Issued Armenian Bonds Gain USAID Guarantee 5) Heated Debates on Proposed Constitutional Reforms Continue in Armenia's Parliament 6) Parliament Chairman to Participate in State Department Program for Emerging Leaders 1) France Pushes Ahead with Cyprus Question pre Turkey-EU Talks (AFP/RTE News)--French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has raised the pressure on Turkey over Cyprus, saying it is inconceivable that a country seeking to enter the EU could fail to recognize all its members. Turkey is due to start EU entry talks on October 3, but has angered the union by saying that its signing of a key EU protocol does not signify recognition of the Greek Cypriot government. The EU recognizes the Greek Cypriot government of the divided island of Cyprus, while Turkey has long supported the breakaway Turkish Cypriot northern region. "It is hardly conceivable that a country that is asking to enter a community refuses to recognize one of its members," Douste-Blazy told a conference of French ambassadors. France "does not want to start a new crisis in Europe" but as an EU member it "is within its rights in asking Turkey to clarify its position" on Cyprus, Douste-Blazy said. Turkey was high on the agenda of the ambassadors' meeting, whose theme this year was the implications of the May 29 referendum in which French voters rejected the proposed EU constitution treaty. Opposition by some French parties to Turkey joining the EU was used as an argument during the campaign for the constitution referendum, although the issue was unconnected with the treaty itself. French President Jacques Chirac said on Monday Turkey had to clarify its stance on Cyprus and added it must offer assurances that it will carry out all its commitments to the European Union. Chirac has promised to put the issue of Turkish membership to a referendum; the European Commission repeated on Monday its position that Turkey did not have to recognize Cyprus in order for accession talks to begin. EU President Jose Manuel Barroso said in an interview published on Tuesday that no European Union members have suggested delaying the start of EU membership talks with Turkey. "So far, no country has signaled to me that it wants to delay the start of talks [from the Oct. 3 target date]," Barroso was quoted as saying by Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza. "The European Commission prepared a project of negotiations with Turkey. It is up to the countries in the EU to decide [to back it or not]," he said. Douste-Blazy said France wanted to "respect its commitments but expects Turkey and other candidate countries to respect theirs and satisfy the conditions for joining the Union 2) ANCA Sets Record Straight in Face of Continued Azeri Misinformation on Mountainous Karabagh "At the heart of this issue is Nagorno Karabagh--a democracy defending itself against a corrupt monarchy that blockades its neighbors and abuses its own citizens." --ANCA Memo to Congress, August 26, 2005 WASHINGTON, DC--In letters sent last week to every Member of Congress, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) responded to the recent escalation of Azeri Embassy's misinformation campaign by outlining the long-standing United States record in support of Mountainous Karabagh. In an August 26th memo to Congressional offices, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian explained that, "the Azerbaijan government--on the defensive about its own record on democracy and freedom--is again resorting to misstatements and outright falsehood to advance its agenda." The ANCA letter came in response to an August 17th letter by Azeri Ambassador Hafez Pashayev, which misrepresented the progress of democracy and free elections in Mountainous Karabagh. Erroneous statements in the letter included false assertions that "Nagorno Karabagh was never independent nor a part of Armenia," as well as untrue charges about Armenian aggression. The ANCA memo highlighted several key points concerning United States support for Mountainous Karabagh: - Declassified CIA reports from the seventies, eighties, and nineties reveal a pattern of official --although confidential-acknowledgment that Mountainous Karabagh is a historic part of Armenia. () - In the late 1980's, the United States welcomed Mountainous Karabagh's historic challenge to the Soviet system and its leadership in sparking democratic movements in the Baltics and throughout the Soviet empire. - The US Senate, in November of 1989, adopted SJ Res 178, recognizing that "Nagorno-Karabagh has continually expressed its desire for self-determination and freedom." - The US State Department's representative to the OSCE "Minsk Group" regularly visits Mountainous Karabagh, which is an official party to the peace process, and consults with its democratically elected leaders. - The US Government, since 1992, has been on record officially condemning Azerbaijan's blockades and other uses of force against both Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh (Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act). - The US Government, over Azerbaijan's protests, has provided direct humanitarian assistance to Mountainous Karabagh since 1998. - On August 3rd, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) initiated a Congressional letter to President Bush, drawing attention to "the important progress being made by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, towards freedom, peace and prosperity." This letter, which is currently gaining signatures during the Congressional recess, notes that, just as, the US champions "freedom for all peoples around the world, we should also continue supporting the aspirations of the people of Artsakh to live in freedom, particularly in the strategically important South Caucasus." ANCA chapters and activists have been contacting their legislators over the past month in support of the Congressional letter to President Bush, set to delivered to the White House on September 30th. 3) No Breakthrough in Kazan, Says FM Okanian YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Yerkir)--Armenia's foreign minister Vartan Oskanian indicated that though talks between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan were positive, there were no breakthroughs resulting from their weekend meeting in Kazan. "True, no breakthrough was achieved during that meeting, but we do consider it positive and believe that the negotiations are following a positive course," he told a news conference on Tuesday. "The most important thing is that the presidents' meeting in Kazan enables the [foreign] ministers to continue their work. I think that there will be a meeting of the ministers in the near future." He pointed out that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group may also be visiting the region. "I think that we have some work to do regarding the results of the presidents' meeting and that there is now new room for continuing the process," Oskanian said. Oskanian's Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov seems to agree. He told reporters on Monday that though each presidential meeting is a step forward, it is too early to talk about progress. "We have not yet reached a point where we need to inform our public about details," he explained. "We are still not there. That is why it is not worth thinking about that," he told reporters on Monday. Talks between Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev were held on the sidelines of the August 27 summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Kazan, the capital of Russia's Tatarstan. Oskanian provided to reporters an overview of that summit as well as Armenia's integration process into Europe, emphasizing joint projects carried out by Armenia, the European Union, and NATO. 4) Cascade Credit Issued Armenian Bonds Gain USAID Guarantee YEREVAN (ArmenPress)--Cascade Credit CJSC and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a loan guarantee agreement on Tuesday, whereby USAID has agreed to guarantee Cascade Credit CJSC issued bonds. US Ambassador John Evans, USAID Country Mission Director Robin Phillips, and Cascade Credit Executive Director Garegin Gevorgyan signed the agreement at Cascade Capital Holding headquarters in Yerevan, Armenia. This agreement will provide a partial guarantee of Cascade Credit bonds to be issued and traded on the Armenian Stock Exchange (ARMEX). If necessary, the guarantee will cover up to 50 percent of the principal amount of Cascade Credit's public debt. The proceeds from the bond issuance will be primarily used for financing Armenian exports. A subsidiary of Cascade Capital Holdings, Cascade Credit CJSC is a non-banking credit organization actively engaged in developing the Armenian Public Corporate Debt market, by introducing a range of financial products and concepts specifically tailored for Armenia. It aims to become a major mediating financial player in Armenia, focusing on identifying market inefficiencies and eliminating them through profitable strategies. Cascade Capital Holdings is 100% owned by the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF), a United States 501(C) 3 organization. According to Garegin Gevorgyan, Executive Director of Cascade Credit, "the USAID partial guarantee for bonds to be issued by Cascade Credit will pave the way for development of capital markets in Armenia by illustrating the viability of public corporate debt market." "It is also a major step towards Cascade Capital's goal to become a financial market leader in Armenia and the Caucasus," elaborated Jonathan Stark, Deputy Director of Cascade Capital Holdings. 5) Heated Debates on Proposed Constitutional Reforms Continue in Armenia's Parliament YEREVAN (ArmenPress/Yerkir)--Armenian lawmakers continued to debate constitutional reforms proposed by the President and the coalition government, but failed to meet the vote deadline, after their second and final reading. The draft was harshly criticized by members of the opposition "National Unity" and "Justice" factions, who called on Armenians to reject the proposed amendments during a national referendum in October. But Levon Mkrtchian, the leader of Armenian Revolutionary Federation faction in parliament rejected the oppositions arguments that the proposed draft would be "tantamount to losing an opportune chance to advance reforms." "These draft amendments will enable us to become the most democratic country of the region," Mkrtchian told the parliament's extraordinary session on constitutional amendments. He also noted that when presenting the amendments to the public, politicians should be truthful in mentioning both the positive and the negative aspects of the charter. "Today, we are determining the country's future and not the issue of tomorrow's rulers," Mkrtchian told the opposition. The proposed reforms enjoy the backing of the Council of Europe, particularly its advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission. But the opposition Justice alliance's Shavarsh Kocharian insisted that the draft does not include 16 of the key proposals by the Venice commission, including the issue of electing the capital's mayor via direct polls. The head of the Council of Europe office in Armenia, Bojana Urumova told parliament on Monday, however, that the Venice Commission "believes in [the] text and supports it fully." She was speaking on behalf of the Commission's secretary Gianni Buquicchio. The European Union and the United States also back the reforms. "The United States supports the efforts of all those who have been involved in the process of attempting to amend the current Armenian Constitution, and encourages all parties to engage in responsible and constructive debate on this issue," US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans said in a statement published by Yerevan newspapers on Saturday. 6) Parliament Chairman to Participate in State Department Program for Emerging Leaders YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The US Embassy in Armenia said the US Department of State will host a series of meetings for Armenian Parliament Chairman Arthur Baghdasarian during the Washington, DC portion of his trip to the United States. Baghdasarian will be in the US August 31 to September 7, as a part of the State Department's International Visitor Program, and will meet with government officials, NGO representatives, and the press. Baghdasarian is scheduled to hold meetings with Speaker of the House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, and Congressmen Knollenberg (R-MI) and Pallone (D-NJ) of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, as well as with various high-level Department of State, National Security Council, US Agency for International Development and Millennium Challenge Corporation officials. Baghdasarian is also expected to give a presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Launched in 1940, the US Department of State International Visitor Program seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through professional visits to the US for current and emerging foreign leaders. Over 180 current and former heads of government and state and other world leaders in public and private sectors have participated in Program. 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.

PHONE CONVERSATION
A!+
| 12:08:55 | 30-08-2005 | Official |
Today Armenian National Assembly Chairman Artur Baghdassaryan
had a phone conversation with Lithuanian Parliament Speaker
Arturas Paulauskas to discuss the fulfillment of international and
interparliamentarian agreements achieved during Mr. Paulauskas’s
formal visit to Yerevan.
The parties also considered the agenda of the World Summit of the
parliament chairmen to be held in New York.

OPENING OF NECESSARY DEPARTMENT
A1+
| 12:01:13 | 31-08-2005 | Regions |
The only department of artificial kidney in the Shirak region which
is located in the Gyumri “Samaritan” hospital will soon enlarge its
activity. The financial support will come from the French SPFA and
German “Fresimius Medical Case” organizations.
On the first floor of the hospital a new department of hemodialysis
will be opened which will give the doctors the possibility to
accept more patients. According to the head of the hospital Rafik
Khachatryan, the creation of the new department is urgent, reports
“Tsayg” TV Company.

SINGLE HEADQUARTERS CONTROLLED JOINT CIS AIR DEFENSE EXERCISE
RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 30 2005
ASHULUK FIRING RANGE (Astrakhan region), August 30 (RIA Novosti)
– For the first time ever, a single headquarters controlled the
joint Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Air Defense exercise,
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Tuesday.
Air defense forces from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Tajikistan
took part in the military exercise at the Ashuluk firing range in
the Astrakhan region of southern Russia.
“This was a special exercise since for the first time ever it was
commanded from a single headquarters, whereas in 2001 and 2003 each
participating state brought its own command post,” Ivanov said.
This was a prototype of a joint CIS group that would be able to deploy
a single air defense system in any region, the minister said, giving
a positive appraisal of the exercise.
“Combat launches were carried out by Armenian, Tajik, Belarusian,
and Russian combat crews. The mission was accomplished,” Ivanov said.
Another military exercise with Russian, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz armed
forces will be held in Sary-Shagan, Kazakhstan in September.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
30-08-2005
Minister Vartan Oskanian receives Rafael Bielsa, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina
August 30, 2005
On August 30, Minister Vartan Oskanian received Rafael Antonio
Bielsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship
of Argentina.
Greeting the distinguished guest and highly evaluating the level of
Armenian-Argentinean relations, Minister Oskanian emphasized the role
of the current visit, for enhancing bilateral ties. Sides touched upon
Armenian-Argentinean current relations and the perspectives of future
developments. Both ministers underlined the necessity for political
dialogue on the issues of bilateral interests and for holding regular
high-level visits.
Emphasis was put on the essential role of the Armenian community of
Argentina, in the strengthening of existing friendly relations between
the two nations. In this context, Minister Oskanian appreciated
the increase of Argentinean investment in the economy of Armenia
especially in regards to the renovation of Zvartnots International
Airport by E.Ernekian, the director of “Corporacion America”.
Several international issues were also discussed, particularly the
position of the two countries regarding UN reforms. Minister Oskanian
briefed his counter-part on the recent developments of the Nagorno
Karabakh peace process.
Sides noted the necessity of opening an Argentinean embassy in Armenia
and the potential benefits to Armenian-Argentinean political, economic
and commercial relations.
The meeting ended with the signing of an Agreement between the
Governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Argentina
on Cooperation in the field of plant protection and phytosanitary
quarantine.

,beghtol,672 88,22.html
Village Voice
For the Erased
Diamanda Gal commemorates victims of a long-forgotten Turkish ethnic cleansing
by LD Beghtol
August 29th, 2005
Ages ago at college in her native California, singer, composer, and
cultural provocatrice Diamanda Gal abandoned the study of science to
pursue her true passion: experimental music. But biochemistry’s loss
is our gain; over the last two decades, her controversial works have
earned her a place high in the avant-garde music pantheon. Fearlessly
outspoken, frighteningly knowledgeable, and dangerously openhearted,
Gal dedicates her latest work, Defixiones: Orders From the Dead
to the estimated 3 million to 4 million victims of the Armenian,
Assyrian, and Anatolian Greek “ethnic cleansing” committed by the
Ottoman Turks between 1914 and 1923. Since 1999, Defixiones has
been performed to near unanimous acclaim at prestigious venues the
world over, from London’s Royal Festival Hall to the Sydney Opera
House, from the Athens National Opera to Mexico City’s Universidad
del Claustro de Sor Juana. Its New York premiere (presented by the
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s “What Comes After: Cities, Art +
Recovery” international summit) is scheduled for September 8 and 10 at
Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, Pace University~Wappropriately
enough, just across from City Hall, mere blocks from ground zero.
The word defixiones refers to warnings engraved in lead placed onto
graves in Greece and Asia Minor, threatening desecraters with grievous
harm. Gal uses this term in a broader memorializing sense, urging
us to remember the forgotten dead, the “erased,” the massacred. Her
epic performance for solo voice, piano, and electronics speaks for
the poet-author in exile~Wboth far from home and in his homeland~Was
well as for “born outlaws,” as Gal calls homosexuals, echoing Genet.
Informed by excerpts from the Armenian Orthodox liturgy and the
traditional amanethes, or improvisatory lamentations sung at Greek
funerals, Gal 70-minute masterwork showcases both her astounding
vocal technique and her enormous capacity for rage, compassion,
defiance, and ferocious emotionalism. Though at times truly fearsome
in its raw, insistent pathos~Wfamiliar to those who know her crushing
Plague Mass (1990) or Schrei X (1996)~WDefixiones’ real power lies
in those seductively lyrical, quiet passages that occur just before
Gal wail of existential anguish erupts in reverberant majesty. Iraqi
artist-scholar Selim Abdullah notes, “The sentiment, strength . . . and
sensitivity contained in this Saturnian representation go back to the
very aspects the Greeks gave to a whole Occidental culture.” Awash in
blood and tears, and haunted by images of unspeakable (and until now,
largely unspoken) butchery, Gal funeral mass is cathartic, but neither
glib nor sentimental. Any redemption is hard-won.
I spoke with Miss Gal who has lived in the East Village for
the past 10 years, on two occasions in mid August. Over multiple
cappuccinos~Wcaffeine being her current drug of choice~Wshe dazzled
me with her famous intelligence and often barbed wit. Onstage she’s
a mythic figure come to life; in person she is perhaps even more
mesmerizing.
——————————————————————————–
Few people in America, other than those of Greek, Armenian, or
Assyrian descent, seem to have heard of this horror. Why is it so
unknown? This country discusses one or two genocides and markets them
in very contrived ways. They don’t write about them truthfully, the
way [author and concentration camp survivor] Primo Levi did. Think
of Spielberg and the legions of mediocrity he has propagated.
And there’s the conflicting numbers, and . . . What does it matter if
it was 6 million or 2 million or 200? Genocide is genocide. Every
culture has its particular way of killing and torturing its
enemies. And the Turks are still trying to cover it up by calling it
deportation, but that’s just another word for “death sentence.”
You’re perceived as the voice of the fallen and forgotten. Is
that something you’ve chosen? No~WI hated being the poster girl
for the AIDS epidemic. It had to be done, but I hated it. I never
meant to be political~W I’m an artist. An artist can only speak for
herself. But if you get particularly good at something it has a sort of
universality, and then it has a certain audience, and you’re answerable
for that. Like Adon [Syrian-born poet Adon Ali Ahmed Said]~Wa great,
great poet~Wwho is seen as the voice of a “leftist movement” of some
sort, but he’s only writing about what is truth to him.
How did you come to create Defixiones? My father is an Anatolian
Greek. All my life he’s talked about how the finest Greek culture
was from Anatolia~Whome to Assyrians, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews,
who for centuries traded languages, songs, ideas, histories~Wand how
many of these cultures are indistinguishable from one another. So
the notion of racial purity there is just absurd. He also told me
about the atrocities committed by the Turks against Greeks from Asia
Minor. But the direct catalyst was an interview I saw with Dr. [Jack]
Kevorkian, who said, “I’m Armenian, I know what torture is all about. I
know the difference between homicide and helping people end a life
of misery.” He was so articulate, and he was discussing Greek Stoic
philosophy and the Armenians in the same breath, which I found very
unusual at the time. So in 1998 I said to myself: It’s time to do
this work.
Later I read Peter Balakian’s book Black Dog of Fate, which talks
about what being an Armenian in America means~Wit means you’re
invisible. It’s the same with the Greeks. Most people think of Greek
culture as a dead culture: Socrates and Aristotle and the statues
. . . And they think Assyrians are the same as Syrians.
Then, as a fellow at Princeton in 1999, I studied texts by Giorgos
Seferis and others in preparation for a performance at the Vooruit
Festival at the Castle of Ghent [in Belgium]. Defixiones was more a
song cycle then, with [the underground Greek protest music known as]
rembetika and works by Paul Celan, Henri Michaux, and César Vallejo. I
concentrated on exiled poets like the Anatolian Greek refugees of the
1920s~Wmy father’s people. The premiere was on September 11, 1999,
which marked the anniversary of the reign of terror under Charles V,
who persecuted homosexuals, women thought to be witches, and other
heretics.
Defixiones is somewhat a work in progress? Yes. Currently I’m
using texts by Giorgos Seferis, [who] is like my bible~Wand Nikos
Kazantzakis, who people will know from his novel The Last Temptation
of Christ. And Pier Paolo Pasolini, whose poem is addressed to the
people who survived. Everyone just hated him. And Yannis Ritsos. And
“The Dance” by Siamanto, with its description of brides being burned
alive. And the pro-genocide poem “Hate,” which was published by [the
Turkish newspaper] Hürriyet and broadcast by the BBC in 1974, right
before the invasion of Cyprus~Wabout why the Turks should decapitate
the Greeks.
September is such a politically charged month . . . Yes, starting
with the destruction of Smyrna in September 1922. And Black September
1955, when Turkish officials waged a disinformation campaign stating
that Greeks had bombed the consulate in Thessalon resulted in the
desecration of Greek churches and the mutilation and murder of priests
and other men. And the Black September of Ariel Sharon’s going into
Lebanon in ’82. He was doing a real con job. And then the situation
in America in 2001 . . .
Your aggressive style and disturbing subject matter automatically
put you outside the mainstream. Yet your music has a surprisingly
broad appeal. Well, I’ve been creating sacred masses, which are not
exactly a popular art form in this country today. But they’re meant
to be, literally, for the people. The American idea of a populist
art form is rap. Some of it is good, but most is appalling in that it
promotes stupidity and the abuse of the same groups that monotheist
totalitarian governments persecute: women, homosexuals, and anyone
who doesn’t speak precisely your language.
You must get tons of hate mail. Fundamentalists of all sorts despise
me. I’m attacked by my own people too~WAmerican Greek men who are homo-
phobic and think everything I say is heresy. I got shit recently
from a Jewish promoter about doingDefixiones in Mexico. She asked
me if I really believed people would be interested. And I thought:
“Please don’t insult my intelligence~Wor theirs. They’ll understand
the concept of genocide as it has occurred and continues to occur to
so many people around the world . . . ”
I want to perform Defixiones in Istanbul and Smyrna. The psychic
manifestations of violence can be just as devastating as the
physical acts~Wespecially when people refuse to recognize them. It’s
depersonalizing. I have a line in INSEKTA: “Believe me, believe
me.” Not being believed can kill.
Who are your fans? People who find it necessary to think for themselves
in order to survive, because they’re damned by the fact they don’t
agree with the mediocrity that society shoves down their throats. They
rise above this by continuing to educate themselves. This is especially
true of homosexuals, who are born outside the law anyway. They’re
still figuratively and literally buried alive by the Egyptians and
Turks. Here in New York they’re visited upon by the Aesthetic Realism
Foundation and treated with electroshock. In Iran, they hang teenage
“infidels.” It’s unbelievable that ethnic groups still shut out
those who can be so disciplined and organized, and who can do great
things. [Gay men] either disappear completely or they address the
situation. They’ve had to~Wto save their own lives. They are great
fighters. I say these are the first soldiers you should enlist, not the
last. This is the man to whom you should say, “Will you be my brother?
Will you help me?”
Will the Turkish government ever admit these atrocities? I think it
will be forced to, through the ongoing work of their own scholars,
both old and young, and by artists and writers who want to be part
of the rest of the world, despite the horrific censorship that the
Turkish government exercises over them. My website is listed as a
hate site, which is completely ridiculous. I do not hate the Turkish
scholars who are trying to address true events in the world. There
are many Turks who want to see things change, but they’re not given
the opportunity to express themselves. When they do, they get sent
to prison or mental asylums. Midnight Express is absolutely the truth.
But until the government officially apologizes, there is no reason
for it to be accepted by the European Union. You must admit what
you’ve done~Wit shows that your present actions will be mandated by
the apology for your past actions. But until this happens there can
be no trust at all.
——————————————————————————-
For more information about the Greek, Armenian, and Assyrian genocides,
Black September, and Galas’s work, see: diamandagalas.com “Voices
of Truth” series: hellenic-genocide.com/voices-of-truth”Before the
Silence” archival news reports series, run by Sofia Kontogeorge Kostos:
go to next article in music ->
–Boundary_(ID_vuZ2QpjXEyZTFWX5Sms/Fw)–

UN ETE DANS LA CROIX: LES ARMENIENS DE TURQUIE. (7/7).
J.-C. P.
La Croix , France
30 août 2005
Dossier. Des intellectuels turcs refusent l’Histoire officielle. Les
cartes postales racontent la coexistence perdue. À travers 750
photographies prises il y a un siècle, un livre et une exposition
defendent l’idee d’une societe plurielle. ISTAMBOUL, reportage de
notre envoye special.
par PLOQUIN Jean-Christophe
Sur la carte postale, une ribambelle d’enfants pose devant une rue
dont les maisons arborent de belles facades. Le clocher d’une eglise
s’elève non loin. La legende est sobre: “Jmisdt, Quartier armenien”.
La scène, prise a Izmit, figure sur la couverture du livre intitule
100 Yil once Turkiye’de Ermeniler (“Les Armeniens en Turquie il y a
100 ans”), edite en janvier a Istamboul. Son editeur, Osman Koker,
avait aussi organise ce mois-la une exposition sur la grande avenue
pietonne de la ville, Istiklal caddesi, reprenant le meme concept:
reveler, par la photographie, l’existence des Armeniens en Turquie
il y a un siècle.
Les 750 photographies rassemblees dans le livre representent un
vertigineux voyage dans le temps. Les legendes – la plupart du temps
en francais – sont d’une precision clinique: “Souvenir d’Erzurum. Le
clocher de l’eglise armenienne”, “Turquie d’Asie. Van. Boutiques
armeniennes”, “Souvenir de Trebizonde. Vue du cimetière armenien”…
Une serie de photos fait meme revivre une ville, celle de Kharpout,
disparue après les massacres de 1915. Une carte venant de la montre les
21 professeurs d’un collège tenu par des missionnaires americains. Les
noms sont presque tous armeniens.
Osman Koker a prepare pendant trois ans ce livre, ainsi que
l’exposition qui repose sur le meme materiel et qui devrait faire
etape a Munich dans quelques jours. En janvier, pendant onze jours,
plus de 10 000 visiteurs, dont beaucoup d’Armeniens, sont passes voir
les photos sur Istiklal caddesi. “Certains sont restes trois heures,
puis ils sont revenus avec leurs grands-parents, se souvient-il. Il y
a en un qui a reconnu son père sur une carte postale de Kharpout. Une
femme a ecrit sur le livre d’or: “Je suis heureuse d’avoir pu voir
cette exposition avant de mourir.””
Quant aux Turcs, ils etaient stupefaits. La plupart ont decouvert
par ce biais qu’il y a cent ans, des Armeniens vivaient dans leur
ville d’origine, qu’ils avaient un certain niveau d’education, que la
cohabitation semblait harmonieuse. “La societe aujourd’hui n’est ni
dans l’etat de nier le genocide, ni dans l’etat de le reconnaître,
souligne Hrant Dink, redacteur en chef du journal armeno-turc Agos.
Elle ne sait pas ce qui s’est passe. Mais elle est en train
d’apprendre.”
Apparemment neutres, l’exposition et le livre signifient pourtant
beaucoup. Ceux qui savent regarder comprennent que la Turquie de
l’epoque avait une identite plurielle, qu’une civilisation a ete
brutalement arrachee et que le pays a, depuis, beaucoup perdu. “On
nous dit toujours que les Armeniens ont trahi les Turcs. Mais on
ne dit jamais que ce sont eux qui ont cree les villes en Anatolie,
s’indigne Osman Koker. Notre système d’education ne parle pas des
minorites. L’Histoire commence avec les Turcs et finit avec les
Turcs. Or, la diversite est très importante pour le developpement
d’un pays moderne. Si la population prend conscience de cette realite
perdue, on pourra creer une societe plus pacifique, plus heureuse.”
Originaire de Maras, non loin de la Syrie, Osman Koker se souvient
d’une Americaine “qui parlait le turc avec l’accent du coin”, alors
qu’il n’avait que dix ans. D’origine armenienne, elle etait venue
revoir la maison paternelle et l’avait retrouvee. “J’ai decouvert que
les Armeniens vivaient la auparavant. Et qu’ils etaient chez eux”,
explique-t-il. Il prepare pour l’an prochain une autre exposition sur
le meme principe, cette fois sur les Grecs. Il publiera aussi, ville
par ville, des photos comparatives d’une place, d’un edifice, d’un
lieu, a cent ans d’intervalle, pour montrer parfois la continuite,
parfois la beance provoquee par l’eradication d’une culture. “La
question des minorites touche directement a la democratie”, resume-t-il
en un doux sourire.
–Boundary_(ID_8543ZNLkt1Ua1DrzGC2WwQ)–

US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO GUARANTEE NEW SHORT-TERM DEBENTURE
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily #154, 31/08/2005
Economy
The US Agency for International Development and Kaskad-Kredit
Corp. signed an agreement of credit guarantee, according to which AID
will guarantee 50 percent of short-term debenture of Kaskad-Kredit
Corp. As executive director of Kaskad Capital Holding, Jonathan Stark,
put it, such an agreement is a great event for Armenia.
Emphasizing the importance of the event, US ambassador to Armenia
John Evans stated that preparation for this agreement lasted 2
years. Gerald Gefestchian is its initiator. The ambassador noted
that the US does not simply invest in such countries like Armenia
but works to stimulate export in Armenia. Amb. Evans said also that
the president of Kaskad-Kredit Bank, Garegin Gevorgian, studied in
the United States by Muskie program.
President of the Central bank of Armenia, Tigran Sargsian, pointed out
that Garegin Gevorgian’s main plus is the fact that he had studied
in the USA but that he had work experience at Central Bank. In view
of the new bonds coming into circulation the CB is making relevant
changes to put the agreement in use.
The executive director of Kaskad-Kredit said that they will issue
debenture for one year with a nominal dimension of $6 million. The
first debentures will be issued till the end of the year through the
Armenian stock exchange.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CIS, OSCE AND UN ON THRESHOLD OF REFORMS
By Tatoul Hakobian
AZG Armenian Daily #154, 31/08/2005
Reforms
Armenia is actively participating in the discussions of the CIS,
OSCE and UN reforms and has its concrete positions. Vartan Oskanian
doesn’t agree that the CIS is about to collapse as a structure. At
the CIS Summit in Kazan, Armenia joined the other states and voted
for Kazakhstan’s candidacy for the position of the country in chair
of the OSCE in 2009. In response to our question why Armenia votes
for a country that still has a pro-Azeri orientation in the Nagorno
Karabakh issue, Mr. Oskanian said that Armenia wasn’t fully siding
with Kazakhstan and when the time comes and the issue is discussed,
our country will announce its concrete position. “Kazakhstan’s position
in the Nagorno Karabakh issue has never been neutral till now,” Mr.
Oskanian said.
Armenia won’t be represented on the level of the president at the
UN General Assembly, this year, too. RA Prime Minister will lead the
Armenian delegation, while Vartan Oskanian will accompany him.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DISHING OUT WHILE DINING IN
Burbank Leader, CA
Aug 31 2005
Zankou, known for chicken but not decor, hopes to draw in more
customers with a stylish new restaurant in Burbank.
By Darleene Barrientos, The Leader
BURBANK — Zankou Chicken restaurants are famous for the tender,
roasted chicken and tasty garlic spread they serve, but not so much
for the nondescript, cafeteria-like decor.
The Southern California chain, owned by the Iskenderian family of
Glendale, is planning to break with its reputation for good food
but bad ambience by opening a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with
27,000 square feet in Burbank. The building will include the chain’s
first patio seating, and a dome will grace its southeast corner.
The new restaurant is scheduled to be open by November or December
and will be the beginning of the chain’s move toward more attractive
and welcoming eateries.
“This is going to be the staple,” said Dikran Iskenderian, a manager
and co-owner of Zankou’s six restaurants. “This is going to be,
God willing, what all of Zankou’s future stores will be based [upon].”
Burbank’s Zankou is being built from the ground up as part of a strip
mall under construction along San Fernando Boulevard just west of
Burbank Boulevard. The mall, which is being developed by Dell West
Properties, will include a drive-through Starbucks, a Robeks Juice
store, a Quizno’s sandwich shop, a nail salon and spa, an IndyMac
Bank branch and an Italian gelato shop, which will also be owned by
the Iskenderian family.
Seven tenants will occupy 13,000 square feet of the 50,000-square-foot
lot, said Rafik Khatchaturian, the developer and owner of the
property. The Khatchaturian and Iskenderian families have known each
other for at least 20 years, but have not worked together until now.
“I went to Italy and was inspired by the Italian architecture,”
Khatchaturian said of his plans to build the project. “I wanted
to create a high-end food court. I think we’ve been lucky in the
implementation of the idea.”
Zankou’s Burbank restaurant anchors the strip mall’s north end. The
eatery’s owners will employ a variety of consultants to plan the
restaurant’s paint, lighting, tile and kitchen layout.
“This location — no one can say anything anymore about the decor,”
Iskenderian said. “They can’t say anymore, ‘it’s great food, but take
it to go.'”
About 60% to 70% of Zankou’s customers take their food to go,
he said. With its new Burbank restaurant, Iskenderian said he
expected that number to drop to 50%. Iskenderian’s grandfather,
Vartkes Iskenderian, opened Zankou’s first store in Beirut, Lebanon,
in 1962. Iskenderian’s father, Mardiros Iskenderian, immigrated to the
United States and opened the first U.S. location in Hollywood in 1984.
Subsequent stores opened in Glendale in 1984, in Van Nuys in 1992, in
Anaheim in 1996, in Pasadena in 2000 and in West Los Angeles this year.
If Zankou’s Burbank restaurant opens as scheduled, it will be the
first time the chain has opened two stores in one year, Iskenderian
said. Future locations are being considered on Ventura Boulevard near
Tarzana, in Beverly Hills and in eastern Santa Monica.
The family might consider going public one day, but franchising the
Zankou brand is an unlikely idea, Iskenderian said.
“The food is handmade, and the recipes are from my family,” Iskenderian
said of Zankou, which is named after a river in Armenia. “We don’t
want the quality of the food to go down.”