MosJan

Food fair promises tastes to delight http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cupertino.courier/09.06.00/gifs/foodfair-0036.jpg By BARBARA DOHENY Even a church cookbook is getting a boost these days from the Internet. With a listing on Amazon.com, The New Armenian Kitchen published by the St. Andrew's Ladies Society in Cupertino, sold more than 1,000 copies in less than a year and generated orders from across the country. By midsummer the cookbook was ranked third most popular among Armenian books on Amazon.com's sales listings. Cooks across the country are discovering recipes that for 20 years have drawn hundreds to the annual Food Fair at St. Andrew Armenian Church in Cupertino. This year's Food Fair is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, at the church's community hall at 11370 South Stelling Road. Homemade pastries, meat and vegetarian dishes will be offered, and admission is free. There is even a takeout menu. Many of the church's recipes are literally thousands of years old. As noted in the cookbook, Armenia was a crossroads of the ancient Middle East, and its cuisine incorporates staples from the Christian, Jewish and Moslem communities. Familiar dishes include lamb and chicken kebabs, savory rice and bulgar pilafs, and baklava dessert dripping with honey and nuts. Health food devotees will find hummus and tabbouleh fillings in pita bread. There will also be delicate pastries filled with meat, vegetables or cheese (boureg and choreg), cheese-free Armenian-style pizza (lahmejun) and tahn, a yogurt drink. The cookbook includes 450 recipes handed down through families in the church or borrowed from friends and relatives on the East Coast. In some cases, Ladies Society members took down recipes by observing older women preparing dishes at home. "I had recipes submitted to me on the backs of old envelopes," said cookbook editor Veronica Sarkissian. "I feel like we're writing history, in a way." Sharing the Armenian heritage is the major goal of the cookbook, which hails from the kitchen of a church established in Santa Clara Valley in 1962, but drawing on a religious tradition going back to the third century. The sanctuary near the corner of Stelling Road and Rainbow Drive incorporates elements of the one of the world's oldest cathedrals in its architecture. Its arched windows and airy rotunda frequently attract architectural students from San Jose State University. The site itself incorporates recent local history. When the church purchased it in 1974, after a dozen years of sharing worship space with others, there was only a small ranch house, a barn and some horses. Orchards extended down Stelling Road. H. "Ronnie" Henesian, a founding member and longtime Ladies Society leader, recalls renovating the house to include a sanctuary and community hall, where delicious meals were prepared and shared by all. The congregation's priest, Fr. Vazken Movsesian, was on his first assignment and initially stunned by the prospect of leading a community with a barn but no sanctuary, she said. He stayed for 14 years and led the community to build a beautiful church but keep the atmosphere of home, she added. "We were very happy there," she said. "The church is not just a religious edifice, it's a home for the Armenians in Santa Clara Valley." Even the evolution of the cookbook follows something of the Valley's current history. Sarkissian credits her computer-savvy son with providing the tools and the training she needed to design the book."He bought me the computer and put me on this 'DSL,' " Sarkissian said. "If it weren't for my husband and my son, that book wouldn't have gotten written." One of the hardest tasks was obtaining an ISBN number for the book so it could be sold commercially, Sarkissian added. Her perseverance paid off as the book scooted up Amazon.com's sales rankings, at one point breaking into the top 10,000 books selling through the online retailer. The recipes are all authentic, but have been altered to involve a little less butter, oil and salt. Several families' versions of the same dish are frequently included to honor different traditions, Sarkission said. Each cook's name is given with her recipe. "All of us have one thing we've done a lot of," said Henesian, shrugging off compliments. The collection of recipes is accented every few pages with pithy Armenian proverbs, geographical and language notes and quotes about the country. There is an index arranged conveniently by ingredients, such as lentils or eggs and types of food, such as casseroles or desserts. The spiral-bound volume lays flat easily and features a bright, glossy cover that can be wiped clean. At the back is a glossary of Armenian food terms, a page on the use of spices, charts of measurements and substitutions, even "Household Hints" and "99 Ways You Can Save the Planet." There is a complete section of meatless dishes. The ladies say they hope it will be a frequent gift for new brides and youngsters finding their way around their first kitchen away from mom's house. Many of the recipes involve a half-dozen ingredients and only basic cooking skills. Some of the more complicated projects include dolmas, or filled grape leaves, and phyllo dough, a many-layered, flaky pastry pocket used with a variety of fillings. "Look at the ingredients first," Sarkissian advised beginners. "Find simple things that you're used to working with." The cookbook can be purchased at the Food Fair and at The Armenian Gourmet restaurant in San Jose. Organizers estimate 500 people attended last year's Food Fair and advise arriving early for the best selection. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Armenian Food Fair 2000, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., St. Andrew Armenian Church, 11370 S. Stelling Road, Cupertino. Call ahead for takeout orders at 408/ 246-6247, or fax orders to 408/257-1840. Wheelchair accessible. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sunnyvale.sun/09.15.99/gifs/taste-9937.jpg Photograph by Skye Dunlap Sue Sevhonkian (left) and Annahis Kalpakian (right) prepare khadaiff, which consists of shredded dough, butter and either cream or a hot filling, for the upcoming Armenian Food Fair at St. Andrew Armenian Church. Church serves kebabs at Armenian Food Fair By Kelle Shilacci The Ladies Society at St. Andrew Armenian Church is very busy this week. In fact, for more than 30 years, September has been a notoriously busy month for the parish as members prepare for their annual Armenian Food Fair. Free to the public, this year's fair--featuring a large variety of homemade Armenian food and pastries-- is set for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the church hall. There will be traditional items like the barbecued luleh kebab, rice pilaf, tabouleh and grape-leaf sarma. And if customers don't know the difference between their kufta and lahmajoon, the chefs and organizers will be happy to guide them through the delicacies. "The cheese boureg is always a favorite," organizer H. Ronnie Henesian said. "We used to use phyllo dough, but now we use puff pastry, which makes the process faster, and more uniform. And it tastes just as good." Henesian has been behind the scenes of this annual event for long enough to know. She's been there from the beginning, since the founding of the Armenian social group more than 40 years ago, back when Cupertino was known for its booming apricot and prune harvests rather than its Apple computers. The social group soon became a parish assembly, meeting in borrowed churches and private homes until finally settling into its very own acreage at 11370 S. Stelling Road on July 15, 1973. If there's one thing that hasn't changed through all this growth and expansion, it's the effort put into the Society's biggest annual fundraiser. "The Ladies Society does most of the cooking," Henesian said, "but it's really a collaborative effort. The youth groups help out, and the Parish Council likes to get behind the barbecue. Other members will donate food at the time of the event." Henesian beams when discussing her parish, speaking very highly about the community and the warmth. "Most of us are transplanted back-Easters," she explains, "but there have been a number of families who have come to the area from overseas just in the past 20 years, escaping their homelands in favor of more opportunity. They are all highly motivated, and education is paramount." Which explains why, after over four decades, the ladies of St. Andrew's still make the time each September to gather together in the steamy church kitchen to churn out those kuftas (Armenian stuffed meatballs) and khadayifs (sesame-covered breakfast rolls.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Armenian Food Fair is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 at St. Andrew Armenian Church, 11370 S. Stelling Road. For more information, call (408) 257-6743. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunnyvale resident designs clothing for popular 'American Girls' dolls News Briefs Abandoned baby girl in stable condition; mother will be charged Council prepared ethics probe into councilmember Stan Kawczynski's recent behavior Olson's orchard falls to bulldozers McClellan Ranch Pepper Tasting Public Safety Letters Baseball: America's pastime Ownership of words Armenian Food Fair

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Che HArout jan lav mitq chi. vortev J.S vro kanchenq heto kam Berjikyanin enq kanchelu kam el chopurryanin... che gorts chunes axper . Martu Votq@ kodrer e, shudov bid apaqinvi. iys mek gavatov al xmenq hagaragi votqerun shdab abaqinman kenats@. hagarag naye ha shad mi xmmer kiynas yedevid votqern al k@kodrvi ya. j/k Movses

lucoJan Welcome to HyeForum. sorry i can not help you you might need to ask Gayane for help HArout jan es inch es anum Karora gites KAMON/a et xerch tren ? Qez mi hat Derin Qard. MOvses

Hrout jan Maladets anhamper spasum em sharunakutyan@

Azat jan amis 30 Alex tiater, Hayastani JAzz bandi hamergna, vstahetsnum em lav hamerga linelu mi qani gortser Haykakan Jazzi - katarvelu en Dudukov yev zurnayov..

GREECE EXPLORES POSSIBILITIES FOR CLOSER COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Greece's defense minister Ioanes Magriotis told in Baku that the goal of his two-day visit to Azerbaijan was to find out Azerbaijan's position over a range of agreements on cooperation, to be signed soon. The Baku-based 525 Gazet quotes the minister as saying that though no concrete agreements were signed, but his country wants to start an efficient cooperation with Azerbaijan in textile industry and tourism. In a reference to a military cooperation with Armenia, the minister said it is not directed against any third country. He also said that Greece was willing to start military cooperation with Azerbaijan as well. He also said that Greece welcomes the direct dialogue between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in a bid to find a solution to the Karabagh conflict. He said Greece was in favor of a settlement that would be in conformity with international norms

TURKS, ARMENIANS TRYING TO OVERCOME PAST ISTANBUL, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Scientists and art critics from Armenia, Turkey, Switzerland and France gathered in Istanbul, on the sidelines of an international film festival, to share their viewpoints and visions about how Armenia and Turkey should overcome their bitter past and move ahead. The meeting is called "Turks and Armenians: One Thousand Years Together." A Turkish on-line "ntvmsnbc" newspaper writes that experts on Turkish and Armenian affairs from the four countries stressed that the history should not be politicized and that it should be approached from the positions of science. The French historian Jefakoff said that no matter how hard it is neighbor countries should do everything to normalize relations. An Armenian expert on Turkish affairs Alexander Safarian said that though Turkey has recognized Armenia's independence, but refuses to establish diplomatic relations with it. Safarian went on to say that not only the two nations, but the governments as well should embark on a constructive dialogue. He also emphasized the necessity for development of Turkish-Armenian relations within the framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), adding that Armenian representation in the BSEC, located in Istanbul, has good chances to contribute to it. Safarian meantime described the role of Azerbaijan in Turkish-Armenian relations as "difficult to comprehend." Citing the example of Cyprus, he said that despite it Turkey and Greece continue maintaining diplomatic relations.

ANOTHER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN YEREVAN YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS The full-contact karate world championship will start in Yerevan November 25. According to the Armenian Karate Federation, sportsmen in 9 weight categories, including world champions Arman Kunjoyan, Vache Avagian, Alan Flores and others, from Armenia, USA, Ukraine and many other countries will take part in the championship.

ARTASHESIAN BORDER POST DISCOVERED IN ARMENIAN VARDENIK GAVAR, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS: During the restoration project of the St. Asdvadzadzin Church, built in 1321 and located in the village of Vardenik in the Gekharkunik region of Armenia, a unique border post was discovered in one of the church walls by the Gekharkunik region Historical Environment Protection Service Executive Norik Hacheyan. In addition to the exciting finding, there is a five-line inscription on the border post in the Aramaic language. Although the border post is broken in half, the text is fully preserved. The post will be investigated and decoded by experts, and will be kept at the museum attached to the church, which will open after the restoration of the church is completed. The discovery is significant because it testifies to the fact that Vardenik was established more than 2200 years ago.

ARMENIAN EMBASSY IN USA OPENS ARMENIAN RUGS EXHIBITION WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Embassy in the US is continuing its series of cultural events, dedicated to the 1700th Anniversary of Proclamation of Christianity in Armenia, a press release by the Embassy said. On November 19, 2001, the Embassy in conjunction with the Armenian Rugs Society opened an exhibition of hand-made Armenian rugs, at the Embassy building in Washington, DC. The exhibition was opened by the newly appointed Deputy Chief of Mission of the Armenian Embassy, Mr. Armen Edigarian. Welcoming everyone on behalf of the Ambassador Kirakossian, he presented the Armenian Rugs Society and its Founder and President James Keshishian. Mr. Keshishin's contribution to the acquisition and decorating of the Embassy building in Washington is great, and who collected all exhibited textile treasures from individual collectors, scholars and simply enthusiasts. The Armenian Rugs Society (founded in 1980 in Washington, DC) is an organization dedicated to the collecting, documenting and dispensing of knowledge of inscribed Armenian rugs. It has been exhibited in many cities around the world and received a local, national and international recognition. The President of the Society Mr. Keshishian expressed his appreciation and thankfulness to the Embassy for cooperation and further introduced the collection of exhibited rugs. Conceived in antiquity and celebrated in the annals of recorded history, the Armenian textile arts reflect a splendid heritage spanning nearly 3,000 years. This exhibition presents outstanding examples of imaginatively designed and richly colored inscribed Armenian rugs from the 19th and early 20th centuries made for use in Armenian homes and churches. They are from fine weave to being primitive. These, then, are folk art from the many towns and villages of Armenians. The rare examples and survivors of the near total destruction of the Armenian homeland early in the 20th century. They speak through their inscription of the cultural practices of an ancient people and provide invaluable documentation for the study of the evolution and dissemination of carpet design. As James Keshishian mentioned, "This is our opportunity to preserve part of our heritage in a way that we know and do best". The opening of the exhibition was attended by the representatives of diplomatic corps and Armenian American community of Washington and media. The exhibition will be on display until December 19, 2001

VIVALDI'S "TIGRAN THE GREAT" OPERA CONCLUDES THE STATE PROGRAM OF THE 1700TH ANNIVERSARY YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS Antonio Vivaldi's "Tigran the Great" opera concluded on Thursday an extensive range of events and festivities, held within the framework of the 1700th anniversary of Armenia's adoption of Christianity. This opera, devoted to the Armenian king Tigran the Great, was put on the stage only once in Rome, 1724, at the Theatre of Federico Capraina. The score of the opera was discovered by an Armenian-Italian soloist Marica Sanosian in Venice. Then it was given to the literature and art museum after Yeghishe Charents. The opera describes the love story of Tigran the Great and the Pontos's King Mihridat Eupathor's daughter Cleopatra.

ARMENIAN FARMERS GATHER 350,000 METRIC TONS OF POTATO YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian agriculture ministry said potato-growers have gathered this year 350,000 metric tons of potato from a total of 32,462 hectares of land, by 60,000 more than last year. Each hectare yielded an average of 125 metric centers of potato. An official of the ministry said this amount would be sufficient to meet domestic demands in potato. Part of it is being now sold in neighboring Georgia. The heavy snowfall that swept across the country on Wednesday, blocking major highways, has raised prices for potatoes in Yerevan markets.

AZERBAIJANI SOCIAL DEMOCRATS LEADER CLAIMS NEW WAR BEGINNING IN Artsax WILL BECOME NEXT DEFEAT OF AZERBAIJAN 22.11.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Cochairman of Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Zardusht Alizade has stated that he does not believe it is possible that Azerbaijani leadership will begin a new war that is to provide the support of people at the forthcoming presidential elections. "Such a step of the leadership will become the next defeat and can precipitate the crash of the present leadership", stated Alizade. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

YEREVAN TO MAKE EFFORTS TO RESTORE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA AND ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY 23.11.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ At a press conference in Los Angeles after signing the protocol on understanding between Armenia and California Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian concerned the topic of the lately shown contradiction between the Armenian National Committee and the Armenian Assembly. In his words, the disagreement between the two main Armenian lobbyist organizations in the United States told negatively on the process of passing a decision on waiving Section 907 by the Congress. Oskanian also noted, the Armenian Foreign Ministry planned to work with both organizations to try to establish cooperation between them. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net

YEREVAN OPERA THEATRE PERFORMED ANTONIO VIVALDI "TIGRAN" OPERA 23.11.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The cultural program dedicated to the 1700-th anniversary of adoption of Christianity as state religion in Armenia was concluded by Antonio Vivaldi's "Tigran" opera premiere. Nineteen composers have devoted their works to the great Armenian king Tigran II. Skarlatti, Hendel, Glyuk and others are among them. Vivaldi's "Tigran" opera was performed only once – in winter 1724 in Rome by the composer himself. As reported by "Arminfo", the score of the masterpiece of the Renaissance epoch was found by music-lover from Teheran Maritsa Sanosian, who discovered it in the university library of Torino Italian town. In 1995 Sanosian brought the score of the 2-nd act of the opera and conveyed it to Doctor of Historical sciences Vardan Grigorian. Unfortunately, the other acts of the opera are absent. Yesterday the opera was presented for the Armenian public judgement. Karen Duragaryan leaded Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre orchestra. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

NEW MEMBERS IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION COMMISSION 23.11.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Reports that new members joined the Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation Commission are confirmed. Another two members joined the four Turkish members of the commission. They are leaders of the Assembly of Associations of American Turks and the Federation of Turkish Associations of America. Five Armenians participated in the work of the third sitting of the commission held yesterday. Besides the four plenipotentiary members of the commission Doctor of Psychology Ani Kalajian was present at the discussions with the status of "invited participant" not being member of the delegation. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

TURKEY NOT OFFERED TO JOIN MINSK GROUP Azeri foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev announced that Armenia can not challenge the international society at the time when Azerbaijan’s positions are strengthening in international spheres. According to 525 Gazet Azeri foreign minister said so answering the question on Karabagh wishing to join Armenia in case military actions restart. Concerning Turkish-Georgian-Azerbaijani three-side alliance Mr. Guliyev said that nothing is cleared out in this issue, and when corresponding proposals are presented Azerbaijan will decide to what extent it will get involved in the agreement. ‘None of the sides presented a complaint concerning the OSCE Minsk group team, and no changes are expected in the format’,- he said concerning the possible involvement of Turkey in the OSCE Minsk group. Azerbaijani foreign minister also informed that the works of opening an Azeri embassy in Israel are continuing, and the package of documents that is to be signed during the coming visit of Aliyev to Moscow is already prepared. Documents specifying the legal status of Russians in Azerbaijan and Azeris in Russia are also included in the package. © Copyright AZG

KARABAGH REPRESENTATIVE IN USA DENOUNCES ARTICLES IN WASHINGTON POST The representative of the Nagorno Karabagh in the USA Vartan Barseghian denounced Dan Morgan, a journalist of the influential Washington Post, for two articles, he contributed to the newspaper November 2 and November 16 in which he presented Nagorno Karabagh as "a territory occupied by Armenia." The Washington Post published in its November 23 issue a response by Vartan Barseghian, in which he says that Armenia did not occupy Nagorno Karabagh. "Nagorno Karabagh people had no other choice as to resort to self-defense in 1991-1994 against the aggression by Azerbaijan and to secure their security they had to build their own state. In this respect the stories by Morgan do not correspond to reality and do not promote peaceful solution of the conflict," the response story says. It is noteworthy that the Washington Post presents Barseghian as the representative of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic in theUSA.-0-/39/ © Copyright AZG

AZERIS WANT WAR IRRESPECTIVE OF ANYTHING The ratification of agreement on military alliance for securing mutual security between Armenia and Russian rose big panic in Azerbaijan. Azeri 525 Gazet newspaper writes that in this respect the chairman of Azeri ‘Liberation of Karabagh’ organization Akif Nagin came up with a special announcement, considering this agreement not a mere coincidence. He noted that in case military actions start between Azeri and Armenian sides the two republics are going to look for allies, whereas Azerbaijani authorities are very passive in this issue. Akif Nagin also finds that the military actions must start irrespective of any agreement, and Russia has a right to help Armenia only in case Azerbaijani forces enter ‘the territory of Armenia’. © Copyright AZG

TURKS REJECT ARMENIA’S OFFER OF DIALOG AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UNITED NATIONS At the General Assembly of the United Nations, last week, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, in an accommodating suggestion, offered to establish a dialog with Turkey without any pre-conditions. The Turkish representative immediately and categorically rejected his proposal and went on to deny the facts of the Genocide. The Armenian and Turkish delegations then got into a lengthy debate on the Armenian Genocide. Thus, officials from almost 200 countries were exposed to the facts of the Armenian Genocide and witnessed first-hand Turkey’s failing attempts at historical revisionism. Here are some excerpts from the exchange between the Armenian and Turkish delegations at the U.N., on November 14: Foreign Minister Oskanian: “As for our relations with Turkey, perhaps in this post-September 11 world, when the Cold War has truly and finally ended, where erstwhile adversaries have found reasons to put aside ideology and establish partnerships, perhaps Turkey will put aside preconditions in the interests of regional and world peace. Armenia would like to have normal good neighborly relations with Turkey and is hopeful that Turkey will establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, open the borders and engage in constructive cooperation. But the obvious must be said. The memory of the Armenian Genocide continues to haunt and obstruct Turkey’s relations with Armenia. However, we are confident that this issue can be addressed between the two governments, through dialog. The events of the last two months reminded Armenians that man is indeed capable of immense, indescribable evil and that mass violence is not a thing of the past. Yet, if we, as the victims of Genocide, are unwilling to permit our own tragic past to define our actions in the future, we can confidently call on Turkey to do the same, and join us as equal participants in a dialog between our two peoples.” Representative of Turkey: “Today, the Armenian Foreign Minister, Mr. Vartan Oskanian, deploring once again the absence of diplomatic relations with neighboring Turkey, called on Turkey to join in a dialog while claiming that Armenia is not willing to permit its tragic past to define its actions in the future. Unfortunately, what Mr. Oskanian implied today, tells us otherwise. Armenia is still willing to usurp an indeed tragic past. Yet, the least we, at this august assembly, needed today was the fomenting of hatred. While we do not negate the suffering nor forget the tragedy that befell upon all the people of Anatolia and the Caucasus, we deplore the language Mr. Oskanian chose to employ today. Armenia is haunted by a distorted version of history reflected in its founding document. It continues to occupy Nagorno-Karabagh and other Azerbaijani territory. At any rate, Mr. Oskanian’s judgments on Turkey are based on falsifications of history. They refuse to this day to see our suffering and fail to show the responsibility of the senseless, radical and revolutionary Armenian leadership of the day in the tragic events which took place. The Armenian government knows very well the requirements of an honest dialog and improved relations. Today, those elements were absent in what was delivered by Mr. Oskanian.” Representative of Armenia: “the issue of the Armenian Genocide is not something that needs to be proven. When 2 million people suddenly, in a matter of weeks, disappear from their historic homeland of 3,000 years, that can only be a result of a planned and well-executed genocide. When hundreds of Armenian intellectuals living in Istanbul, including the Armenian members of the Turkish Parliament, are executed without trial in one day, that can only be the result of genocide. This is absolutely clear not only to us but is also clear to a large number of states that have officially recognized and condemned the crime of genocide committed against the Armenian people. There is one evidence in favor of our position that is more than relevant in the United Nations: These are the words of Raphael Lemkin, the author of this term genocide, and one of the co-authors of the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide. He said once that the international community needs this Convention in order to prevent from happening what had happened to Armenians during World War I and to Jews during World War II. As for the issue of occupying other countries’ territories, we believe that the country which itself has committed a crime of aggression and still occupies nearly half of Cyprus, has no right to use the term occupation at the United Nations and to use it when speaking about other countries. Turkey has been using the issue of the Armenian Genocide to sabotage all our efforts to normalize our relations with Turkey and to establish good neighborly relations between our people. Just an hour ago, my Foreign Minister repeated his call, confirming our readiness to engage in a constructive dialog with Turkey without any preconditions. We hope that this time, this call will not go unanswered.” Representative of Turkey: “I will restrain myself to what Prof. Bernard Lewis wrote: ‘The Armenians want to benefit from both worlds. On the one hand, they speak with pride of their struggle against Ottoman despotism, while on the other hand, they compare their tragedy with the Jewish Holocaust.’ That is exactly what is taking place right now. Mr. Boghos Noubar, a foremost Armenian leader himself, said that ‘the Armenians have been since the beginning of the war de facto belligerents.’ And he continued, ‘they fought alongside the Allies on all fronts.’ What I would like to underline here is that Turkey never negated the suffering of the gifted Armenian race. But, they want us to honor only their deaths, while we say that both deaths of Armenians and Turks and other people should be honored.” Representative of Armenia: “I would like just to draw the attention of my distinguished Turkish colleague that it is not the Armenian side that has made this comparison between the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust. As far as I remember, I was quoting Mr. Raphael Lemkin, the author of the term genocide, a well-recognized authority on this issue. s for the suffering of the Turkish side, I think that there can be absolutely no comparison between the suffering of the executioner and his victims.” The above exchange confirms the fact that the Turkish government is not ready for any kind of dialog with the Armenians. All those who believe that a few self-appointed Armenian individuals can resolve the complex Armenian-Turkish issue by a series of heart-to-heart meetings or by an exchange of singers and dancers, are either fooling themselves or are being fooled by the Turks! By Harut Sassounian, California Courier Publisher © Copyright AZG

NEW YORK MEETING OF TARC The third meeting of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, known as TARC, ended its third meeting in New York November 23. Like two previous meetings, this one was also held behind closed doors. No information is available about what issues the meeting had on its agenda, in what manner the discussion were held and what their results are. It is impossible to give answers to these questions, as neither the Armenian nor Turkish commissioners have spoke about the meeting or released a joint statement. We have to satisfy our interest by what was told by Andranik Mihranian, a Moscow-based independent experts on Russian and international affairs and TARC member to RFE/RL. According to him, after a tense start because of some statement and remarks by Turkish commissioners, that could be damaging for the TARC work, Armenian members of the Commission threatened to stop their participation in TARC in case there is no real progress and if it is apparent that the Commission's work is preventing further recognition of the Armenian genocide by international organizations. Mihranian said that the EU and German parliaments refused to mention the Armenian genocide, citing the existence of TARC as a possible means of resolving Armenian-Turkish dispute. Following this tense start, the atmosphere improved and the meeting continued. According to Mihranian, these facts, however, do not mean that the work of TARC is preventing international recognition of the Armenian genocide. He says the outcome of the New York meeting may be promising. Mihranian goes on:” We have seriously discussed a number of issues, referring to the international recognition of the Armenian genocide which will be reflected in the joint statement.” Contrary to Mihranian’s assurances, no joint statement has been made so far. It appears that no matter how seriously the issue of international acknowledgment of the genocide was discussed, the Turkish commissioners seem to have destroyed them by their persistence opposition. Some statements made by the Turkish commissioners prior to the New York meeting give us reasons to think so. One of them, Osdem Sanberk said: “Our goal is not to seek the truth, but to open new horizons for future and promote mutual understanding between Turks and Armenians.” Ilter Turkmen, former Turkish foreign minister said: “The Commission’s task is not to give assessments to historical events,” and Gunduz Aktan echoes him: “When the word is about the events that took place 85 years ago in the last years of the Ottoman Empire, Turks sitting around negotiations table, will never accept them.” However, the point is not Turk commissioners’ statements, but the position of Van Krikorian, an Armenian member of the TARC, who is trying to justify rejection of the genocide by Turks. In an interview, the daily Azg posted July, 25 Van Krikorian announced publicly that “the national self-conciseness of the Turkish commissioners does not let them accept the fact of the Armenian genocide.” Furthermore, he goes on to say that : “They said they have been brought in in a different way, consequently, not a single political or state leader will ever accept this fact, as it is the question of national dignity.” If holding the meetings behind closed doors is one of the particularities of the TARC work, absence of consistency and making contradictory statements is the particularity of the Armenian commissioners. These two particularities, brought together, give us reasons to suppose that the work of TARC would hardly produce any desirable outcome. As regards the future of the TARC, it was doubted by Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian during a news conference in Los Angeles, who said that Armenian authorities urge the Armenian commissioners to assess their activity in the TARC to decide whether it is worth continuing to work in it. By Hagop Chakrian © Copyright AZG

Mikejan It's a nice staf have a beer or 2 it's on me

hagarag - when are you going back to work ? looks like you have way to much free time in your hands