JEWS OF RUSSIA, BELARUS, UKRAINE AND MOLDOVA CONDEMN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

YEREVAN, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. The Jews of Belarus, Moldova, Russia and
Ukraine bow down before the memory of those killed in the Armenian
Genocide, say the Jewish communities of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and
Moldova.

The criminal indifference of the world towards the massacre of over
1.5 mln of Armenians led to many recurrence throughout XX among them
the Ukrainian Gologomor and Jewish Holocaust.

As victims to the biggest tragedies in XX the Armenian and Jewishs
peoples should pool efforts for the world community to ensure that no
such crimes will ever recur.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION DURING CONFLICTS HELD
IN STEPANAKERT TODAY

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. Scientific conference on human rights
protection during armed conflicts was held in Stepanakert today.

The conference was organized by Mersop Mashtots University (Karabakh)
and Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State University (Armenia).

Rector of Mesrop Mashtots University Donara Gabrielyan says that the
subject is topical for Karabakh as the country suffered all the human
rights related problems during the Azerbaijan-imposed war.

Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Slava Asryan says that
human rights protection is the first thing the world community takes
into account when forming opinion of a state.

The conferees pointed out that the Azeri authorities committed mass
violations of human rights in Karabakh during both the Soviet times
and the Karabakh war. It was due mostly to the activities of
international humanitarian organizations particularly ICRC that many
lives were saved and the war was not turned into a bloody mess.

CONFEDERATION OF WORKERS FROM TURKEY IN EUROPE CONDEMNS ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY

YEREVAN, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. The Confederation of Workers from Turkey
in Europe condemns the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.

In its press statement CWTE says that not only the Turkish authorities
were responsible for the genocide of Armenians and the massacre of
Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey but also Germany who actively
supported Ottoman Empire at the time. As a result 1.5 Armenians were
killed, thousands of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks were deported
from their homes losing their cultural and historical legacy over the
territories they had lived for centuries. The Armenian Genocide was a
genocide not only against the Armenians as a nation but against the
ancient civilization they created in the territory of Anatolia.

The policy of Ottoman Empire is carried on by present-day Turkey this
time against the Kurds.

CWTE condemns Turkey’s Fascist policy and its denying the Armenian
Genocide. CWTE shares the pain of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek
peoples and says that whole civilized humanity must apologize to the
Armenian nation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Leader
Forgotten Holocaust
Saturday April 23, 2005
The Guardian

It is not every day that there is a chance to ponder the significance
of events that happened in the distant past, so tomorrow’s 90th
anniversary of the start of what Armenians call their genocide at the
hands of the Turks should not pass unnoticed. This subject cannot be
tackled without negotiating a minefield of claim, counter-claim and
fury. Many historians believe that between 1915 and 1923 the Ottoman
Turkish authorities orchestrated the killing of 1.5 million Armenian
Christians. Turkish governments have always insisted that a few
hundred thousand died in “spontaneous” violence that constituted
neither extermination nor genocide, and that in any case began in
wartime, when the Armenians, seen as a fifth column, were fighting
alongside Russian forces.

Ohan Pamuk, Turkey’s most famous writer, was vilified recently for
referring to a million deaths, many of starvation on a long march into
exile in the Syrian desert. When France, home to the largest Armenian
diaspora community, planned to commemorate the killings, it received
threats from Turkey. Henry Morgenthau, then US ambassador to Istanbul,
reported “cold-blooded, calculating” slaughter. But American
governments speak only of “tragedy” to avoid offending their
ally. Armenians, marking the catastrophe in Yerevan and beyond, call
it the forgotten holocaust and say Turks should no more be allowed to
deny their responsibility than Germans for exterminating Europe’s
Jews. (Hitler, whose crimes areremembered, once scornfully asked who
remembered the Armenians).

With emotions still running so high, it is encouraging that Turkey has
asked Armenia to join a commission with unfettered access to the
records of both countries, including Turkey’s first world war military
archives. Armenia rejects this, saying the historical facts are
clear. Ankara fears the issue is being exploited by those, especially
in France, who oppose Turkish membership of the EU. To some extent,
the response is defensive. But whatever their motives, it will be
welcome if Turks are now ready to look at their past with a more open
mind.

TURKEY’S POSITION IN ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – FALSE CYNICISM,
RUSSIAN SENATOR THINKS

MOSCOW, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. <To avoid recognition of the Genocide
fact, Turkey tries to persuade the international community that only
“excesses” took place in connection with the military situation. It
is a false cynicism that makes one to doubt that the Turkish state
aspiring to become a member of the European family has reached
relevant standards.> The member of the Council of Federation of the
Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian
party of self-government Levon Chakhmakhchyan writes in his article
in the newspaper “Nezavisimaya Gazeta.”

Meanwhile, the author writes that even several Turkish figures were
ashamed of the acts of their compatriots yet at the beginning of the
20th century. Thus General Sheriff-pasha, who became an exile for his
views, published an open letter in the Swiss “Journal de Geneve”
wherein he stated “If there is any nation that have given more
services to Turkey due to its state figures and talented officials
owing to their mental faculties in all the spheres it is the Armenian
nation. There is no educated Turk who would not sign the statement of
my friend, the deputy of the English parliament Lynch saying that
Armenians have exclusive abilities to bear new civilization; our
highest ideals have become closer to them:

At the same time, Chakhmakhchyan writes that lack of desire to study
and lear the lessons of the history have brought to numerous bloody
dramas of the 20th century, to dozens of millions of victims. That is
why recognition of the fact of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is
necessary to those alive and not to the death. Those are not
indifferent to human fates are well aware of this. In 1987 the fact
of the Genocide was condemned by the European parliament, similar
resolutions were adopted by the State Duma of Russia, parliaments of
many European states, a number of American States: And Turkey’s
denial of the fact of the Armenian genocide recognized by the
international community and given relevant international and legal
assessment is not only cynic but also has no prospects from the
political point of view. The current and the future authorities of
Ankara will have to agree with the decisions and recommendations of
the international community concerning the public recognition of
Genocide and responsibility for it already in the visual future.

DIRECTOR OF HOLOCAUST INSTITUTE: SITUATION IN ISRAELI PUBLIC IS
GRADUALLY CHANGING IN DIRECTION TO RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE

YEREVAN, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. If the Turkish authorities in the person
of Prime Minister Erdougan who is to visit Israel soon try to exert
pressure in our authorities in the issue of Armenian Genocide, the
scientists and opposition of Israel will decisively opposite it,
Director General of Holocaust Institute Israel Charni informs
ARMINFO’s correspondent.

He said that Government of Israel pursued pragmatic goals in the issue
of Armenian genocide, without taking into account the moral side of
the question. The position of Israeli authorities in the issue of
Armenian genocide is dictated by the fact that maintenance of good
relations with Turkey is of prior importance of politicians. It is a
wrong position for any parliament and especially for the Israeli one
as the latter must most of all proceed from the principles of morality
and not to allow such mistakes. It insults the religious feelings of
Jews, the scientist thinks. He considers the situation in Israeli
public is gradually changing in direction to recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.

To note, Turkish Mass Media reports that in the course of his
forthcoming visit to Israel, Turkish Prime Minister is expected to
elaborate joint plans with the Israeli leadership on denial of the
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.

APRIL 24 NOT ONLY DAY OF COMMEMORATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS,
BUT ALSO DAY OF AWAKENING OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE’S SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: USD
LEADER

YEREVAN, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. April 24 is not only a day of
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide victims, but also a day of
awakening of the Armenian people’s self-consciousness. Leader of the
Union Self Determination party Paruyr Hairikyan said at a
press-conference today.

He said that in 1965 the Armenian people for the first time remembered
its rights, demanding not only to mark at the state level the Day of
genocide, but also to release the seven political prisoners and to
return the Armenian lands seized by Turkey after the Genocide. A year
later in 1966 the party Union Self Determination currently headed by
P.Hairikyan was formed which was fighting and still fights for the
rights of every citizen of the country. In connection with the
aforementioned, it is not clear to Hairikyan how can high ranking
officials state that the process of Genocide recognition must be stage
by stage – at first recognition, then condemnation, and then
compensation to the victims and only after this the return of the
territories can be in question. It must be a package solution and
everything must be returned and compensated at once, as in 1915 not
only the Armenians but also the Armenian statehood were killed,
Hairikyan thinks. Hairikyan himself is a successor of the genocide
victims, the brother of his grandfather Abraham Hairikyan was killed
by Turks in 1915.

UNION OF COMMUNIST PARTIES ASSESS STATE COUPS IN GEORGIA, UKRAINE AND
KYRGYSTAN AS EXPANSION OF WORLD IMPERIALISM

YEREVAN, APRIL 22. ARMINFO. The Union of Communist Parties condemns
the methods and mechanisms of state coups in Georgia, Ukraine and
Kyrgyzstan. First Secretary of the Central Committee of Armenia Ruben
Tovmasyan informed ARMINFO on his arrival from Moscow yesterday.

Leader of Armenian communists pointed out that those so-called
revolutions bore no relations with socialist revolution, basis of
social justice, which the communists fight for. Those revolutions
display the West’s aspiration to take advantage of the temporary
weakness of Russia, he thinks. All the so-called velvety revolutions
were based on proteges and the capital of the West, and not only the
Soros Foundation but also the first persons of the USA are engaged in
it, with the speech of Rice in Moscow being an evidence of it,
Torosyan explains. He added that the American rulers, who had made
Iraq into a slaughter- house had no moral right to speak of democracy.

However, the leader of Armenian communists is far from being
pessimistic. He says that a wave of protest is rising in Russia and
the successes of the united opposition of CPRF and Motherland parties
at the elections in Voronezh and Yaroslavl regions are an evidence of
it. Tovmasyan expressed confidence that with CPRF’s coming to power
Russia will restore its former geopolitical positions.

Pan Armenian News

GERMANY APOLOGIZES TO ARMENIAN PEOPLE

22.04.2005 08:33

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Germany apologizes to the Armenian people’, official
representative of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Gernot Erler
stated. In his words, the political forces of Bundestag have already
coordinated the principal items of the resolution calling Turkey to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. He also noted that the resolution
contains an item stating that Germany being an ally to Turkey during the
First World War bears a deal of responsibility for the Armenian Genocide.

Pan Armenian News

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN CHURCHES CALLED TURKEY TO RESIGN TO TRUTH

22.04.2005 07:40

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Presidium of the Conference of the European
Churches(CEC) issued a statement on the occasion of the 90-th anniversary of
the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The document says in part, `on
April 24 the Armenian people will commemorate the 90-th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Head of the Federation of
Protestant Church of France Jean-Arnold de Clermont will represent the
Conference of the European Churches at the events.’ The statement also
records that during the meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians and
Catholicos of the Great Kilikian House Aram I in Sweden the CEC noted that
the tragedy of the Armenian people will never be forgotten. The Presidium
called upon Turkey to initiate the process of reconciliation between the
Turkish and Armenian people. In this view the CEC Presidium welcomed the
Turkish Prime Minister’s statement on opening the Turkish archives. `It is
important for Armenian and Turkish investigators to have full access to
these documents’, the CEC statement says. When touching upon Turkey’s bid
for the EU the CEC Presidium noted that the attitude of the Turkish
authorities towards the Armenian people and the Christian minority as well
as other national minorities will be of utmost importance in the negotiation
process.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress