Armenian Genocide Commemorations List and related articles

[Yervant1]

SPANISH "EL PAIS" REFLECTS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

13:04, 26 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 26 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Spanish "EL PAIS" periodical's
well-known analyst Antonio Elorza reflected on the Armenian Genocide
and the events of the centennial in his article titled "Armenia. XX
Century's First Genocide", which was published on March 25. As reports
"Armenpress", the article particularly runs as follows:

"The ideas of the prominent Turkish intellectuals Pamuk and Dink,
which doubt the official denial of the horrible crime against humanity
carried out one hundred years ago, continue to remain topical. "Who
today is still talking about the extermination of Armenians". Hitler's
statement, made in 1939 August 22, was related to the implementation
of the campaign against Poland and it was the evidence of his war
policy with genocidal nature, which ended with Shoah.

The Armenian massacres had a huge influence on a young Polish-Jew
Raphael Lemkin, who later would exert all possible efforts directed to
the developing an international regulatory framework, which allowed to
prevent the recurrence of similar crimes, particularly after Hitler's
rise to power.

Lemkin didn't succeed and as a result the Nazi crimes were sentenced
"ex post facto" in Nuremberg from the position of distrust toward the
defined norms. And despite the fact that Lemkin succeeded to reach the
condemnation of crime of "genocide" by the international community,
even the personal achievement did not result in the development
and implementation of the international law, which guaranteed the
punishment in the case of such crimes. As a result, these norms
were only carried out in the case of the weakness of guilty state
(Rwanda, Serbia).

The 1915 Armenian tragedy literally complies with the characterization
of the term "genocide", which had been developed by Lemkin. A number
of criminal acts were carried out, which aimed at the extermination
of a people based on the developed program of the alleged racist
ideologues and were dubbed by such additional events, such as physical
destruction and property of mass alienation."

(THE FULL VERSION OF THE ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799260/spanish-el-pais-reflects-on-armenian-genocide.html

[Yervant1]

AMERICAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HISTORY TEACHING IMPORTANCE

14:05, 26 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS: At a recent national teaching
conference, Fresno Unified's Mary Janzen asked her colleagues if they
had ever heard of the Armenian Genocide. 28 of the 30 teachers in the
room told her they had no idea what she was talking about. Incredibly,
this was a room full of history teachers, Armenpress reports, citing
the website yourcentralvalley.com.

The Armenian Genocide has always been the lesser known of 20th century
genocides, a fact that understandably frustrates the Central Valley's
large Armenian population. These people had relatives-- often entire
families-- killed by Ottoman Turks. 1.5 million were killed. And still,
28 out of 30 history teachers from around the country had never heard
of it.

In recent years, California's 10th grade curriculum included learning
about the Armenian Genocide. But a recent law is taking that a step
further-- requiring the subject to be taught and funded thoroughly.

New history textbooks, when published, will be required to include the
genocide, without any hint of controversy it has carried in the past.

In Fresno Unified, students begin learning about Armenia at a young
age. Students begin learning about the country's music in elementary
school-- it isn't until later that the Armenian Genocide is taught
in detail.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799272/american-media-highlight-armenian-genocide-history-teaching-importance.html

[Yervant1]

CLAIM BACK ALL PROPERTY BELONGING TO ARMENIANS STOLEN BY TURKS: BODIL BIORN'S GRANDSON

11:36, 26 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. In 1905, the "Women Missionary
Organization" sent Bodil Katharine Biørn to the Ottoman Empire as
a missionary nurse, but at that time the Norwegian missionary could
not even imagine what impact it could have in her life.

In 1915, she witnessed the Mush massacres, including the persecution
and annihilation of the orphans in her custody and the murder of
numerous Armenian priests, teachers and assistants. During the
genocide, while many of her colleagues reverted to the role of
bystander, Bodil Katharine Biørn became a witness and a messiah;
saving the lives of hundreds of homeless Armenian women and children.

Moreover, Biørn adopted a 2 years old Armenian orphan, who survived
the genocide and in 1917, she took the boy named Rafael with her to
Norway and baptized him as Nansen. Nansen (originally named Rafael)
became her only son, as Biørn never got married in her life.

"Armenpress" introduces an exclusive interview with Bodil Katharine
Biørn's grandson Jussi Flemming Biørn.

- Do ordinary Norwegian people know about Armenian Genocide and feat
of people like Bodil Biorn?

- Ordinary Norwegian people don't know about the Armenian Genocide
today. In the 1920's people in Norway had more knowledge because of
numerous newspaper articles by Bodil and others bring the light to
the catastrophe. The attention of Fridtjof Nansen who had traveled to
Armenia and the Nobel peace prize he received in1922 also made people
aware of the tragedy. But then little by little it was forgotten.

- When and how did you found out the great humanitarian work that
your grandmother has been done?

- I always knew about my grandmother's work as we lived together
until she died at the age of 89. I was 15 at the time.

- How did it influence on your following life?

- I grew up knowing I was 1/2 Armenian and 1/2 Finnish. But also
Norwegian. I had no problem with my mixed origin. I didn't pay much
attention to this growing up. I was an ordinary boy living in an
ordinary family. My mother spoke a bit funny Norwegian/Swedish with
Finnish accent. My father had a more exotic looks than father of my
friend, but then again he spoke fluently several languages, English,
French, Finnish and Arabic. I felt proud. My Armenian origin was
not important at the time, because Armenia was never in the news,
it was a closed country for us, part of the Soviet Union. I had an
Armenian father, my mother was Finnish, I was born in Stockholm,
my brother was born in Finland, my sister in Norway. My grandmother
was Norwegian. I was proud of my family.

- Since 2008 when the movie "They call me mother" dedicated to your
grandmother was shown in Yerevan during "Golden Apricot" international
film festival, was it shown somewhere else?

- The film has been screened several times, in the movie theater in
Krageroe, hometown of Bodil, in the local library, in The Danish
Institute in Damascus, in the Armenian cultural centre in Aleppo,
in the Naregatsi Art Institute in Yerevan and Norwegian I TV2. In
addition several other occasion in Norway connected to Armenia.

- In 1917, Bodil Biorn arrived in Norway with an Armenian boy whom
she named Fridtjof and who she claimed to have adopted. As we know
during Christmas 2005, you have received a surprising call from an
unknown person claiming to be a relative. He explained that his father,
a member of the Armenian Resistance, had a short relationship with
Bodil in the town of Mush. The name of this man was Ruben. Does this
story have a continuation?

- It turned out that this man, whose family name was Ter-Minissian had
not the DNA that could be traced to my DNA. Never the less it's more
likely that his wife, Anahit's father had a relationship to Bodil,
as he was from Mus. I haven't followed this trail but I still wonder
what really happened during those troubled days.

- What kind of actions are needed in international recognition and
condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, taking in to account the
fact that 100 years after the crime it had not achieved the proper
appraisal from the international society?

-The social media has proved to be a powerful weapon to change
people's views and several issues have been brought in to the light
both national and international. Even the politicians use Facebook and
Twitter to highlite and bring forward issues they like to emphasize.

Make 2015 a whole year of remembrance and don't stop at April 24. Make
April 24. the beginning of international recognition like the Armenian
genocide happened yesterday. Claim back all property belonging to
Armenian families stolen by the Turks as the Jude's successfully
have done in all Europe. Undress the Turkish propaganda every time
they bribe foreign politicians and historians to falsify the history
and never let them rest. It's a growing opinion in Turkey who like to
recognise what happened, even give back property in order to continue
as a proud people.

- Are You planning to visit Armenia and stand beside the Armenian
people on a symbolic date - the anniversary of Armenian Genocide?

- I will visit Armenia on the symbolic date April 24. and take part
in the ceremony in Tzitsnerkaberd. I will also bring a groupe of
Norwegians, headed by the mayor of Krageroe, members of my family
and friends who will experience how the Armenians from all over the
world commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Interview by Anahit Minasyan

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799233/claim-back-all-property-belonging-to-armenians-stolen-by-turks-bodil-bi%C3%B8rns-grandson.html

[Yervant1]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM IN BUENOS AIRES TO BE OPENED NEXT YEAR

10:37, 26 March, 2015

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian trace and presence will
become more evident in Gurruchaga and Jufre streets of the Argentina's
capital. The opening of the museum will probably be held next year.

The site of the museum is located very close to the Armenian Cathedral
and different associations.

In an interview with "Armenpress", Professor Nelida Bulgurjian,
responsible for the issues of Armenian Genocide Museum in Argentina,
head of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Foundation, stated that
construction activities are underway at the present moment. She
emphasized that the idea of the museum's construction united all
the Argentine-Armenians and everybody is looking forward to the
structure's opening.

Among other things, Professor Nelida Bulgurjian noted: "The Museum
will have permanent exhibitions, fundamentally the historical tour;
and transitory: special exhibition or artistic topic.

The programs of the Museum are orientated to the Armenian community but
also to the Argentine society. Students' of the Armenian or Argentine
schools will have the opportunity to visit the Museum to organized
activities to develop the conscience of prevention of genocides."

"As for the content of the Museum it will present the history of the
Armenians on three stations:

1.-The life in the Ottoman Empire before the Genocide of 1915:
daily life: how was their living, the family and social relations,
the role of the woman.

2.-The genocide: with photographic and audio-visual elements

3.-The life in Argentina: the associative life, the work; the
contribution of the Armenians to the Argentine society," the Professor
concluded.

Among other things, Nelida Bulgurjian underscored: "The Foundation
entrusted two well known architects of Armenian origin: Juan Carlos
Toufeksian, who is the President of the Foundation and Guillermo
Der Garabedian, for the creation of the project of the Museum of the
Armenian Genocide that will turn into an icon so much for the city
of Buenos Aires, and for all the Armenians.

They delivered the project of a building of three floors and subsoil,
of 1.000 square miles of surface approximately. Nowadays, the plan is
developed by a group of architects of Armenian origin who have offered
to prepare voluntarily the planes to be passed by the authorities.

Once they obtain the above mentioned, it will begin his construction
with the support of the Armenian community of the Argentina."

Article by Hasmik Harutyunyan

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799217/armenian-genocide-museum-in-buenos-aires-to-be-opened-next-year.html

[Yervant1]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONFERENCE AT THE SORBONNE UNDER THE AEGIS OF FRANCOIS HOLLANDE - VIDEO

18:23, 26 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

An international conference organized by the International

Scientific Council for the study of the Armenian Genocide (CSI) titled
"Genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the Great War.

1915-2015: One hundred years of research" solemnly opened at the
Sorbonne on March 25. The three day conference is held under the
patronage of French President Francois Hollande.

This exceptional event has brought together tens of researchers and
historians from different countries of the world.

French Minister of Education and Research, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem,
inaugurated the International Symposium, delivering a powerful speech
recounting the dark hours of the first genocide of the twentieth
century. She said "the rigorous study of sources, testimonies of
survivors, documents, has established the truth of the Armenian
Genocide."

Among the historians in attendance are Yves Ternon Stephan Astourian
Erdal Kaynar, Claire Mouradian, Sait Cetinnoglu Mustafa Aksakal,
Richard Hovannisian, Vincent Duclert Raymond Kevorkian, KM-Umit Kurt,
Ara Sarafian, Hans-Lukas Kieser, Georges Bensoussan, David Gaunt, Sia
Anagnostopoulou, Joël Kotek, Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau, Hamit Borzasian,
Peter Holquist, Erik-Jan Zurcher, Mikaël Nichanian, Dzovinar Kevonian,
Edhem Eldem, Ayhan Aktar, Boris Adjemian, Henry Rousso, Mutafian clude
Alban Perrin, Hira Kaynar , Jesn-Pierre Chretien, Dominik Schaller,
Roger Smith, Christian Ingrao, Nicols Werth, Helene Dumas and Taner
Akcam.

Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem will attend the commemorations in
Yerevan on April 24 with President Francois Hollande.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/26/armenian-genocide-conference-at-the-sorbonne-under-the-aegis-of-francois-hollande-video/

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=109546

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbjahlL2KM0

[Yervant1]

Hey Obama follow Canada's example!

MOTION TO BE INTRODUCED IN CANADIAN PARLIAMENT TO DECLARE APRIL AS GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE MONTH

18:39, 26 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Motion to be Introduced in House of Commons to declare April Genocide
Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month

The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) has worked closely
with Mr. Brad Butt, Member of Parliament for Mississauga - Streetsville
(Conservative) on a motion to declare April as Genocide Remembrance,
Condemnation and Prevention Month and, among other things, to mark
April 24 of each year as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day, Horizon
Weekly reports.

The ANCC urges all Canadians dedicated to the cause of preventing
future genocides and properly recognizing past genocides to make
their voices heard by writing or calling their Members of Parliament
and asking them to vote for this motion.

ANCC President Dr. Girair Basmajian said "This motion reaffirms
Canada's commitment to the important cause of genocide prevention
and recognizes that the first step to prevention is to ensure that
we remember and condemn past genocides." Dr. Basmajian further stated
"We are very grateful that this motion designates April 24 as Armenian
Genocide Memorial Day so that all Canadians can join with the Armenian
community to work to prevent future genocides, which is especially
important in light of the religiously and ethnically motivated violence
against minorities currently taking place in Iraq and Syria."

The Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month motion
was published on the Notice Paper today, which is the first step that
must be taken before the motion can be introduced in the House of
Commons and then brought to a vote. It is expected that the motion
will be formally introduced in the House of Commons next week by
Mr. Butt. It is also expected that other Members of Parliament will
speak in favour of the motion at that time. It is not yet clear when
the motion would be approved.

The Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month motion
recalls that Canada has officially recognized four genocides (the
Holocaust, the Holodomor, the Rwandan Tutsi Genocide and the Armenian
Genocide) and that three of these genocides have a memorial day
in April, so it is appropriate to designate April of each year as
Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month. The ANCC
notes that the designation of April 24 of each year as Armenian
Genocide Memorial Day in this motion is the first time that any
Canadian federal government body has formally recognized April 24 as
Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/26/motion-to-be-introduced-in-canadian-parliament-to-declare-april-as-genocide-remembrance-month/

 

 

[Yervant1]

LA CITY COUNCIL BILL URGES OBAMA TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Thursday, March 26th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/133409/la-city-council-bill-urges-obama-to-recognize-armenian-genocide/

LA City Council Bill Urges Obama to Recognize Armenian Genocide

Los Angeles City Council

LOS ANGELES--Los Angeles City Councilmembers on Wednesday introduced
a measure urging President Obama to recognize the Armenian Genocide
and voicing LA's support for H-Res 154, the Armenian Genocide Truth
and Justice resolution introduced in Congress last week.

City Councilmember Paul Krekorian and Council President Herb Wesson,
were joined by councilmembers Mitch O'Farrell and Paul Koretz
co-presented the resolution.

The City Council Resolution calls on President Obama to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide and urge the government of Turkey to acknowledge
the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide.

The item will now go to the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental
Affairs Committee. Once the Committee hears the item, it will be
sent to the full Council for a vote, and will be placed in the City's
2015-2016 Federal Legislative Program.

Below is the text of the proposed resolution.

WHEREAS, any official position of the City of Los Angeles with respect
to legislation, rules, regulations or policies proposed to or pending
before a local, state, or federal governmental body or agency must
have first been adopted in the form of a Resolution by the City
Council with the concurrence of the Mayor; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide began on April 24, 1915, with the arrest
by Ottoman Turkish officials of key Armenian intellectual, political
and religious leaders, followed by the murder and deportation of men,
women and children --- a pattern that has been repeated over and over
again in the Holocaust, in Cambodia, in Rwanda, in southern Sudan
and in all other genocides since the Armenian Genocide; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out by
Ottoman Turkey from 1915 to 1923, resulting in the deportation of
nearly 2,000,000 Armenians, of whom 1,500,000 men, women, and children
were killed, and 500,000 survivors were expelled from their homes,
effectively destroying the 3,000 year presence of Armenians in much
of their historic homeland; and

WHEREAS, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the
horrific series of events that left millions of Armenians dead and
displaced; and WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide is widely recognized
by historians and genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th
Century, and as the harbinger of all genocides that would follow; and

WHEREAS, the Armenian Genocide is clearly documented with overwhelming
evidence in the national archives of Austria, France, Germany, Great
Britain, Russia, Turkey the United States, the Vatican and many other
countries, and this vast body of evidence attests to the same facts,
the same events, and the same consequences; and

WHEREAS, Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Armenian communities
in the world, and one of the largest populations of Genocide survivors
and their descendants; and WHEREAS, it is vital that the Government
of the United States properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, not
just because of the moral implications, but because it can help to
prevent future atrocities from occurring; and

WHEREAS, the Truth and Justice Resolution (H.Res.154), introduced
and spearheaded in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen
Adam Schiff (D-CA), Robert J. Dold (R-IL), David Valadao (R-CA),
and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), offers a new approach to U.S. efforts to
foster Armenian-Turkish relations which are equitable, constructive,
stable, and durable; and

WHEREAS, the Resolution calls on President Barack Obama to stand by
the statement, which he made before entering office, that "the Armenian
Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view,
but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body
of historical evidence"; and

WHEREAS, the Resolution calls on the Obama Administration to press
Turkey for full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences
of the Arri1enian Genocide;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, with the concurrence of the Mayor,
that by the adoption of this Resolution, the City of Los Angeles
hereby includes in its 2015-2016 Federal Legislative Program support
for the Truth and Justice Resolution (H.Res.154).

Co-Presented by: PAUL KREKORIAN, 2nd District HERB WSSON, 10th District
MITCH O'FARRELL 13th District PAUL KORETZ, 5th District

[Yervant1]

FISK, BOGOSIAN TO SPEAK ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT DEARBORN SCHOOL

Dearborn Press and Guide, MI
March 26 2015

Published: Thursday, March 26, 2015

Two voices on the subject of ethnic cleansing are heading to metro
Detroit in April for an interactive discussion of the Armenian
Genocide.

Robert Fisk and Eric Bogosian are to appear April 18 at Edsel Ford High
School in Dearborn to talk about the near-annihilation of Armenians
that began in 1915.

The event, titled "We Remember, We Demand," is sponsored by the
Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of Greater Detroit.

"This event will help educate people of all ages, regardless
of ethnicity, of the heinous act carried out against Christian
Armenians a century ago that is largely overshadowed on the world
stage," committee Chairman Raffi Ourlian said. "We encourage everyone,
especially younger generations, to attend, ask questions and learn from
having unprecedented access to our speakers' knowledge and opinions."

Fisk is a veteran British journalist and Middle East correspondent for
The Independent, a London-based global newspaper. He has reported on
and published several books on armed conflicts, has won numerous awards
and interviewed terrorism mastermind Osama bin Laden three times.

Bogosian, a well-known Armenian-American actor, is perhaps best known
for writing Talk Radio and subUrbia, two stage productions that were
successfully adapted for the silver screen. He also has starred in
"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and soon will have a genocide-themed
book, "Operation Nemesis," published.

Fisk and Bogosian will take to the Edsel Ford stage at 7 p.m. The
school is at 20601 Rotunda Drive, near Outer Drive, in Dearborn. The
event also will feature a genocide-themed performance by the Hamazkayin
Arax Dance Ensemble.

Admission is free but donations will be accepted.

For more information, contact the Armenian Community Center at
313-336-6840 or visit www.agc-mi.com.

http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2015/03/26/news/doc5514678eab141029031794.txt

[Yervant1]

OCTOBER 1915 ISSUE OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE WAS DEDICATEDTO ARMENIA

18:24, 27 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

October 1915 edition of the well-known American "National Geographic
Magazine" was almost entirely dedicated to Armenia and the history
of the Armenian people.

The edition thoroughly covered the Armenian Church, Armenian
family and system of values. Massacres of Armenians are broadly
presented in the edition. Full version of the Journal is available
at http://mfa.am/.../National_Geographic_Magazine_October_1915.p...

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/27/october-1915-issue-of-the-national-geographic-magazine-was-dedicated-to-armenia/

http://mfa.am/u_files/file/National_Geographic_Magazine_October_1915.pdf

[Yervant1]

11:57 28/03/2015 » SOCIETY

UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on prevention of genocide

On March 27, The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution on the prevention of genocide, which was introduced by the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations (UN), the Armenian Weekly reports.
The resolution on the prevention of genocide (A/HRC/28/L.25) recommends that the General Assembly designate December 9 as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of Genocide, “in order to raise awareness of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and its role in combatting and preventing the crime of genocide.”
The resolution also reiterates that the fight against impunity is key in the prevention of genocide. It also underscores the need to identify the root causes of genocide, and suggests that a list of contact points be established to strengthen efforts toward genocide prevention. It also underlines the importance of genocide education, and expresses the need for “enhanced international cooperation.”
The resolution further “condemns the intentional public denial or glorification of crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity as defined by international law, and notes with concern that public denials create a risk of further violations and undermine efforts to prevent genocide.”
On Feb. 13, the government of Armenia approved a motion declaring December 9 as a “Day of Remembrance of Victims of All Genocides.” According to the reasoning submitted by the sponsoring Members of Parliament, the adoption of the law will set December 9 as the day of condemnation and remembrance of all genocides, “based on the fact that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide on December 9, 1948.”
The full text of the UNHRC resolution can be read here.

Source: Panorama.am

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http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/images/asbarez_01_460x101.jpg

Friday, March 27th, 2015

 

Armenian Youth Federation Confronts Turkish Ambassador in Argentina

 

http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/eng/2015/03/ayf-argentina-embassy.jpg

AYF members in Buenos Aires hand out flyers outside of a conference where Turkey's ambassador was speaking. March, 26, 2015. (Photo: Unión Juventud Armenia de Sudamérica)

BUENOS AIRES—On Thursday, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of South America attended the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) to hand out flyers in a presentation made by the Turkish Ambassador in Argentina, Taner Karakas, on “The foreign policy of Turkey in 2015.”

 

“The Turkish-Azerbaijani denialist lobby continues spreading lies, and co-opting academics, politicians and journalists,” said the organization. “We choose again to face the denial of the Turkish state face to face with its ambassador, providing information about the real Turkish foreign policy.”

The AYF denounced that in 2014, 2,500 people in Turkey suffered violence and police harassment. “In the Taksim Square protests in 2013, 11 people died, 8,000 were injured and over 3,000 were arrested.”

AYF also recalled that the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that women are not equal to men because “it goes against nature.” “In 2014, 296 women were killed and 191 were victims of rape.”

“In September 2014, Erdogan and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced that in 2015 they would work ‘in a coordinated manner to dispel the myth of the ‘Armenian genocide.” The denialist policy of the Turkish government is institutionalized in the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, under which it can imprison those who ‘publicly denigrate Turkishness’ or the ‘Government of the Republic of Turkey.’ In 2012 and 2013, Turkey was the country with the most imprisoned journalists in the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. According to Reporters Without Borders, Turkey is in the 154th position of 180 countries in its World Ranking of Press Freedom. In 2014, Erdogan blocked access to Twitter and YouTube before the municipal elections,” the AYF explained.

Finally, the AYF reported that “the Turkish government maintains closed borders with Armenia unilaterally, in order to drown Armenia financially until it ceases its claims for justice for the Armenian Genocide and the struggle for self-determination of Artsakh.”

[Yervant1]

GREEK-ARMENIAN YOUTH SUBMIT REQUISITION TO EU REPRESENTATIVE FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

17:01, 27 March, 2015

ATHENS, 27 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Members of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun Armenian Youth Association in Greece held
a protest in front of the building of the EU Delegation to Greece
with the demand that EU member states put an end to their policies
of denial and recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide.

As the editors of Azad Or newspaper of Athens report to "Armenpress",
the youth submitted a requisition to the EU representative in which
they have emphasized that Turkey continues to deny the Armenian
Genocide and is leading a worldwide campaign to distort the history
in the year marking the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

"We call on the European Union to encourage member states to recognize
the Armenian Genocide and subject deniers to criminal liability,"
as stated in the requisition.

The Greek-Armenian youth also demand that the European Union pressure
Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide and take action to compensate
for the material and non-material losses and the restoration of the
historic rights of the Armenian nation.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799503/greek-armenian-youth-submit-requisition-to-eu-representative-for-armenian-genocide-recognition.html

[Yervant1]

EVENT DEDICATED TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL HELD IN WARSAW

16:07, 27 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 27 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. On March 24, the "Solidarity" Union
of educators of Warsaw and the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
in Poland held an event dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian
Genocide with the title "Armenia is the First Christian Country in
the World" with the help of the Armenian-Polish Foundation. As the
Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports to "Armenpress",
among the participants of the event were Ambassador of the Republic of
Armenia to Poland Edgar Ghazaryan, heads of the Mokotov and Ursinov
Districts of Warsaw, spiritual pastor of the Polish-Armenians of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Friar Tatchat Tsaturyan and secretary Babken
Khanzadyan, members of the Armenian-Polish Foundation, representatives
of cultural associations and non-governmental organizations of the
Armenian community of Poland, as well as diplomats, intellectuals
and journalists.

During the evening, Professor Witold Vasilevsky gave a lecture devoted
to the history of the Armenian people and the Armenian Genocide,
which was followed by performances of spiritual songs by the local
Armenian choir.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799486/event-dedicated-to-the-armenian-genocide-centennial-held-in-warsaw.html

[Yervant1]

OSCE DELEGATES TO PARTICIPATE IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION EVENTS IN YEREVAN AT HIGHEST LEVEL

17:30, 27 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 27 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan received
the delegation led by Head of the Yerevan Office of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Ambassador Andrey Sorokin. As
the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Government
of the Republic of Armenia reports to "Armenpress", greeting the
guests, the Prime Minister viewed the cooperation with the OSCE in
different spheres as effective and reaffirmed the Armenian government's
willingness to continue implementation of the joint programs.

The Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan expressed gratitude to the Prime
Minister for the appraisal of the joint efforts and attached importance
to the contributions that Hovik Abrahamyan has made to the development
of cooperation as speaker of the National Assembly and Prime Minister.

The interlocutors discussed the Regulatory Guillotine program for
reforms and future actions, touched upon further expansion and
activation of cooperation and attached importance to current joint
programs and the programs in different perspective sectors.

Touching upon the ceremonies to be held on the occasion of the
Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the Head of the OSCE Office in
Yerevan informed that the OSCE delegation would be participating in
the commemoration events at the highest level in Yerevan in April 2015.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799509/osce-delegates-to-participate-in-armenian-genocide-commemoration-events-in-yerevan-at-highest-level.html

[Yervant1]

STRATEGY DOOMED TO FAILURE AND THE TURKISH DREAM OF THE AMERICAN CONGRESS

Friday, 27 March 2015 13:59

The Turkish authorities' recent foreign policy strategy and especially
the intensification of diplomatic efforts in the American direction
are visible to the naked eye.

The steps taken by official Ankara reflect the concerns of the
country's authorities related to the stance of the international
community on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and, in
particular, the possible emphasis of the USA President's annual speech.

The Turkish authorities' actions and different-level statements reveal
this tactics: the Armenian Genocide is presented in other words -
'general pain', 'sad news', or that not only Armenians became victims
of the 'mournful events', but also representatives of other nations
professing the Muslim faith. Along with the denial, they try to exert
pressure on the international community for impeding the further
process of recognition, and if we pay attention to the statements of
the country's President, Prime Minister and other political figures,
we'll see the obvious goal.

But, a goal is one thing and the contradicting reality is another
thing. Turkey feels itself defeated in the European direction -
it got furious about the resolution on the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide adopted on March 3 at the Political Summit of the
leading political force of the European Parliament - the European
Popular Party. The resolution "The Armenian Genocide: the Turkish
Responsibility and European Values" condemned the crime committed at
the beginning of the 20th century and called upon Turkey to recognize
it. It is noted in the resolution that the archives of some states -
Germany, Great Britain, USA, and France - contain irrefutable evidence
on the commitment of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire by
the Young Turks' government. The resolution condemns the destruction
of thousands of Armenian cultural monuments in Turkey. It calls upon
Turkey to accept its own history and recognize finally the fact of
the Armenian Genocide, to pay reimbursement, as appropriate to a
European country, and to ensure the Armenians' right to safe return
and reunification with their national home.

The resolution calls on the EU, the Council of Europe member-states,
international organizations, to all the goodwill-people, irrespective
of their ethnic and religious affiliations, to join efforts to restore
the historic justice and to pay the worthy tribute to the memory of
the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Based on the EPP resolution, the European Parliament presented on
March 12 its annual report on human rights and democracy, in which
it urged all the European countries to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Paragraph 77 of the report reads as follows: "Ahead is the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and the European Parliament calls
on all the member-states to legally recognize it, as well as calls
upon the EU member-states and institutions for further contribution
to its acknowledgment".

A day after the publication of the report, on March 14, Press Secretary
of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Tanju Bilgic issued a statement,
condemning the appeal of the European Parliament for the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide. According to the Turkish official, the
appeal displays a one-sided approach and is a document containing
requirements lacking any logic and legitimacy.

Bilgic commented in his own way on the passage of the EPP's resolution,
in which hope was expressed that the recognition and condemnation of
the Armenian Genocide by Turkey would open a new page in the process
of reconciliation between the two nations. By the way, the resolution
is concluded with these lines. In contrary to this, the Turkish
Foreign Ministry spokesman noted that such moves could damage the
improvement of the Armenian-Turkish relations. It is clear that the
European values are unacceptable for Bilgic, because they advocate
Genocide recognition and condemnation, which could become a basis
for the reconciliation process. The Turkish logic differs from this -
it is the recognition that damages the reconciliation process. It is
clear that due to the collision of this logic, the EU closed its doors
before this state. Those wishing to join the European family should,
at least, be guided by the values of this family.

The Turkish diplomacy decided to show activity in the United States -
Turkey's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Serdar Kilic
participated in the 35-th conference of the US-Turkish alliance of
organizations (ATAA) in Washington, during which he touched upon
the issue of the Armenian Genocide. According to the Turkish Anadolu
News Agency, Kilic openly stated what he wanted - they will continue
struggling against the U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He
called for using joint efforts to crown successfully this struggle.

The Turkish Ambassador disclosed his main goal, noting that it hurts
him that <unilaterally and to spread hatred and enmity>> and that Armenians'
goal is to force the U.S. to recognize the Genocide and thus to damage
the Turkish-American relations.

The Ambassador's statement proves once again that Turkey doesn't
refuse of its denial policy; moreover, it notifies of its concrete
goal - to conduct an anti-Armenian policy at the American legislature.

Let us pay attention to another idea by the Ambassador - the best
way of the struggle is to ensure a representation at the U.S. Congress.

In the current conditions of the USA-Turkey relations, when the
political strategy of the American regime on restraining Turkey in
the Middle East is obvious, it is absurd to expect ensuring Ankara's
presence in the Congress. It is a Turkish absurdity or Erdogan's
unrealizable dream.

Let us note that Turkey has assumed a new strategy not only in the
foreign-, but also in the domestic policy. It is known that Turkey is
preparing for the June 7 elections to the Great National Assembly,
and the Turkish authorities pay special attention to the Armenian
candidates. It is quite clear that this country aims to involve
Armenian intellectuals in the denial process as well. The Turkish
state is sure that the issue will be easily resolved through the
efforts of the elected Armenian MPs.

According to the Armenian experts on Turkish issues, Armenian
candidates at the Majlis elections can be, first of all, from the
leading 'Justice and Development' Party, as well as the Kurdish
'People's Democratic' and Kemalists' 'People's Democratic' Parties.

The Turkish elite's calculations are obvious - they involved Armenian
candidates also in the political forces, which are not governmental,
but are controlled by the authorities; it allows making a clear idea
of their future parliamentary activities.

The conclusion is as follows: Turkey's new strategy is doomed to
failure, both in the foreign and domestic policy. Their organizational
activities in the political, diplomatic, and scientific spheres
related to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide - to deny
the Armenian Genocide, the people's deprivation of homeland, and the
confiscation of their property - are not expected to be a success.

Similarly unsuccessful is their aspiration to make the Armenian
intellectuals a political tool in the domestic issues.

Ruzan ISHKHANIAN
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1742:-strategy-doomed-to-failure-and-the-turkish-dream-of-the-american-congress&catid=5:politics&Itemid=17

[Yervant1]

Laz activist to deliver speech on Armenian Genocide in Copenhagen

13:55, 28 March, 2015


YEREVAN, 28 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Laz poet Serkan Engin living in Turkey
will deliver a speech on the issue of the Armenian Genocide in
Denmark. Engin stated in a conversation with "Armenpress", that on
April 28 he will be in Copenhagen by the invitation of the Chairman of
the International Free Press Society.

Engin will talk about the Armenian Genocide, as well as the topics of
the freedom of speech in Turkey, during the upcoming event which will
take place at the Writers' Union building of Denmark. The Laz poet
repeatedly has condemned the Armenian Genocide in his previous
publications and statements, considering that the greatest crime
committed against humanity.


http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799569/laz-activist-to-deliver-speech-on-armenian-genocide-in-copenhagen.html

[Yervant1]

Burbank Candlelight Vigil to Mark Genocide Centennial

Friday, March 27th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/133433/burbank-candlelight-vigil-to-mark-genocide-centennial/


Community members commemorate the Armenian Genocide at the steps of
Burbank City Hall


BURBANK, Calif.--The Burbank community will commemorate the centennial
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Tuesday, April 7, when the
Burbank City Council will present its annual Proclamation in
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

At 5:30 p.m., a remembrance program will be held at the Burbank City
Hall, during which the City Council will present its Proclamation. The
program will be followed by a candlelit walk from Burbank City Hall to
the Burbank Youth Center, where a commemoration program will take
place at 7 p.m.

The Candlelight Vigil is the Burbank community's annual commemoration
event for the Armenian Genocide. It is organized by the Armenian Youth
Federation, Burbank "Varak" Chapter; the Armenian National Committee
of America, Burbank; the Burbank Homenetmen "Sipan" Chapter; the
Armenian Relief Society, Burbank "Araz" Chapter; and the John
Burroughs High School Armenian Language Club.

Burbank City Hall is located at 275 E. Olive Avenue, Burbank, Calif.,
while the Burbank Youth Center is located at 75 E. Santa Anita Avenue,
Burbank, Calif., at zip code 91502.


http://asbarez.com/133433/burbank-candlelight-vigil-to-mark-genocide-centennial/

[Yervant1]

Armenian Genocide centennial: Paris city hall to host exhibition

12:06, 28.03.2015


An exhibition, entitled "Armenia 2015: Centenary of Genocide," will
open at Hôtel de Ville, the city hall of Paris.

The event will be held from April 29 to July 4, reported the French
Armenian Nouvelles d'Arménie magazine.

The exposition will focus on the mass violence against the civilian
population in the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 20th century.

A total of 350 photographs and 150 documents will be brought from the
Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Armenia's capital city of
Yerevan and the Nubar Library in Paris, to be displayed in the French
capital city.


http://news.am/eng/news/259237.html

[Yervant1]

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
March 27 2015

Turkey's erratic genocide jurisprudence

by Burak Bekdil


In the early 1990s, Turkey started to generously buy off-the-shelf
arms from foreign manufacturers who had happily discovered an emerging
but potentially lucrative market.

Spoiled by big companies vying for Turkish contracts in manners
reminiscent of the insurance policy salesman in Tintin's adventures,
the Turks occupying important official seats discovered they could
extract benefits from their roles as rich buyers. Some personally got
rich. More innocent ones calculated that Turkey could use defence
contracts as a foreign policy tool.

Before the French legislature recognized the Armenian genocide in 2001
Turkey threatened to freeze all economic, political and military ties
with the country, including defence contracts. The French recognized
the Armenian genocide. And Turkey's bilateral trade with France rose
from $4 billion in 2001 to $15 billion a decade later.

However, a decade later Turkey was threatening France again: This
time, all economic, political and military ties would be frozen if the
French legislature criminalized the denial of Armenian genocide.

Then-foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the French bill, if passed,
would "dishonour our country and nation."

Having learned from past experiences how punishing Turkey's wrath
could be, the French legislature passed the genocide denial bill. A
few months later, France's Supreme Court overturned the bill. So, "our
country and nation were not dishonoured." In June 2012, Mr Davutoglu
cheerfully announced Turkey and France could now live happily ever
after.

That set a new Turkish jurisprudence on the genocide dispute. Between
2001 and 2012, Turkey moved from threatening countries whose
legislatures could recognize the genocide to living happily ever after
with such countries as long as their denial laws do not take effect.

As erratic in its position as before, Turkey, these days, is trying to
market a new product. And that new product, too, is related to a
defence contract. In September 2013, Ankara selected a Chinese company
in a multi-billion dollar bid for the construction of its first
long-range air and anti-missile defence architecture. As talks with
the Chinese bidder inevitably stumbled, Turkey first opened parallel
talks with a French-Italian group (whose legislature recognizes the
genocide), which it had ranked second in the bidding, and then with an
American partnership that had come third.

Zigzagging between three solutions ranging between $3.4 billion to
$4.5 billion, the Turks decided to resort to the tactic they had
discovered in the 1990s: Let's wait and see, before we select the
winner, how Washington and Paris will commemorate the centennial of
the genocide. If, for instance, President Barack Obama kept his
pre-election promise, broke the taboo and used the word "genocide" in
his annual Apr. 24 speech, we cross out the Americans. Similarly, if
the French administration went to another extreme on Apr. 24, the
French-Italian contender would risk losing the contract; Lucky
Beijing. Apr. 24 will be just another fine spring day.

The Turkish inconsistency persists. What if Paris commemorates Apr. 24
in a low-profile manner but Mr Obama mentions the word that terribly
scares off Ankara? Cross out the Americans. Jump into the
French-Italian bid. But did the French legislature not recognize
genocide in 2001 and even pass a bill that would have criminalized
denial? Yes, but that was long time ago and in 2012 Mr Davutoglu
decided to forget about it all just because the French supreme court
overturned the denial bill (while the bill that recognizes genocide
remains effective).

Once again, Ankara is wrong in its carpet bazaar calculus. If Mr Obama
once again avoids the word "genocide" in his annual speech, it will
not be because he fears the Turkish wrath, which does not exist -
other than as a joke. It will be because he will not wish to enable
Turkey's rulers to run from one public rally to another and scream to
the already anti-American (and anti-Semitic) crowds that "this is a
dark imperialist-Jewish-American-Gulenist plot to stop the rise of the
Turkish empire." A neat, extra two-to-four percentage points for the
ruling party. Public curses and private thanks to President Obama.

Turkey's deterrence-through-$$$ policy on the Armenian genocide
issue embarrassingly collapsed in 2012. With the French precedent, no
country takes "Turkey's wrath" seriously because it does not exist.

[Yervant1]

Australian Financial Review
March 28, 2015 Saturday

THE OTHER HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY


A rags-to-riches banker with a haunting family background insists
Australia must acknowledge the Armenian genocide, writes Geoff
Winestock.

Michael Carapiet had a stellar career in finance. He ran the
infrastructure division of Macquarie Bank and now, in semi-retirement,
he sits on a dozen of the most prestigious corporate and government
boards. But we won't be talking about any of that. I have instead
invited Carapiet to lunch beside the glistening waters of Sydney
Harbour because he is also one of Australia's most prominent
Armenians.

It is topical because the centenary of the Armenian genocide
officially falls on April 24, just one day before Anzac Day. On that
day in 1915, with the British and Australian attack on the Dardanelles
imminent and the Russians invading from the east, the Turks launched a
year of murder and deportations that killed about 1.5 million
Christian Armenians, who were accused of disloyalty. More than half
the Armenian population of the Ottoman empire perished.

When I had called to set up the lunch, Carapiet had warned he was not
an expert on the topic, just a finance guy who happened to be from the
50,000-strong Armenian community.

But, after just half an hour of talking, the topic gets his blood
running hot. At one point, he erupts with frustration that the
Australian government is refusing even to use the word "genocide"
because it is afraid Turkey might stop our dignitaries attending the
Gallipoli centenary ceremonies.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop recently described what happened to the
Armenians as an "alleged genocide".

It drives Carapiet wild. "There is overwhelming evidence. Julie Bishop
came out and said 'alleged'. Alleged genocide! Who wrote that for
you?" he almost shouts at her imagined presence. "The Department of
Foreign Affairs advises and they blindly follow and ignore the moral
compass."

We are dining at Graze, the outdoor restaurant just in front of the
Museum of Contemporary Art on Circular Quay. Carapiet suggested it
because it is close to his private office and it won't "break the
budget" since, as is usual with these lunches, I had offered to pay.

Carapiet's sense of a good deal reminds me both that Armenians are
renowned the world over as traders and that Carapiet is a
rags-to-riches migrant himself, with an understanding of the value of
money.

The other thing about the choice of restaurant is that, at various
points in the conversation, the contrast between the terrible events
of 100 years ago and the bobbing ferries and delighted tourists in
front of our table makes Carapiet laugh at how seriously Australians
take their First World problems.

"We have pretty much the best of everything. Look at this," he
exclaims gesturing at our surroundings.

No wine for lunch. Carapiet orders salad but no onions or capsicum. I
am gluten-free and go for a sirloin with nothing. We agree to have a
coffee later.

Just like Gallipoli, the Armenian genocide was a long time ago, so
only the middle-aged grandchildren of the survivors are alive.

Carapiet, 56, retired from Macquarie in 2011 and chairs Smartgroup
Corporation, an ASX-listed salary packaging company. He is on the
boards of the federal government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation
and Infrastructure Australia, and a few NSW state government
businesses. He has two daughters and a granddaughter, and lives with
his wife, Helen.

Carapiet's connection to the genocide is less direct than some,
including Treasurer Joe Hockey, whose grandfather survived one of the
forced death marches of Armenians into the Syrian desert in 1915.

Carapiet's parents and grandparents spent the terrible year of 1915 in
the safety of the diaspora in British India and were not directly
affected. Carapiet grew up there and migrated here only in 1975. His
father dropped the typical Armenian surname ending "-yan" or "-ian".
Carapetian became Carapiet.

Until the young Carapiet married, the genocide came up only in
remembrance services in the Armenian Orthodox Church, which is the
focus of the diaspora community. Then, when he was 15, his father gave
him a copy of a classic 1930s historical novel, The Forty Days of Musa
Dagh, which was written by an Austrian Jew and celebrates one small
group of heroic Armenians who took up arms against the Turks instead
of accepting slaughter.

What brought the genocide home was marrying his wife and meeting her
family. Helen's mother's family fled from western Turkey to Bulgaria
with only what they could cram on a cart.

Helen's father's family was not so lucky. From Keyseri in eastern
Turkey, where the genocide was most fierce, her grandfather was sent
on and survived the death march into the Syrian desert.

Helen then experienced the dislocation that followed the genocide for
so many Armenians. She herself was born in Yerevan, the capital of the
Soviet Union's autonomous republic of Armenia, a sliver of land
squeezed between Turkey and Russia. After the Second World War, her
parents and many others emigrated to the Soviet Union as an
alternative to the uncertainty of stateless exile in the Middle East.

"It was a terrible decision," Carapiet says. As Josef Stalin's terror
raged, Helen and her family fled to neighbouring Georgia, where they
made a living making shoes, including for Stalin's daughter. From
there they somehow emigrated to Australia in the '70s.

It was by talking to Helen's mother and her genocide-survivor
grandfather that Carapiet improved his basic Armenian. He listened as
the old man bled history. But Carapiet was also repelled by the
savagery of the politics of the Armenian exiles.

In the 1970s and '80s, radical Armenian exiles waged a terror campaign
and assassinated Turkish diplomats, including the consul in Sydney, in
1982. Carapiet says he was busy earning, stacking shelves for
Woolworths, working as a bank teller at National Australia Bank and
then, by 1985, was one of the first to join Macquarie Bank.

"I worked out pretty early that my skill was in commerce like a lot of
Armenians and because of my somewhat direct views and occasional lack
of patience with people I found these debates somewhat..." Carapiet
waves his hand dismissively.

We tuck in and my steak is perfect although I slightly regret not
ordering sides. Sydney Harbour is turning on a lovely show. But we are
quite engrossed in a very different time and place.

The politics changed again in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed
and, for the first time in 80 years, the Armenians had their own
country.

"My wife always said when the wall came down, 'I don't believe this is
happening."'

Carapiet visited the newly independent former Soviet republic of
Armenia with his children but it was a confusing experience. On the
one hand, this was the spiritual homeland where everybody on the
street looked like a relative. Carapiet visited the well where St
Gregory the Illuminator, patron saint of the Armenia, the world's
oldest Christian country, was imprisoned in the fourth century.

On the other hand, Soviet Armenia had evolved very differently from
the diaspora. It was desperately poor, less worried about the past and
at war with neighbouring Azerbaijan. Carapiet still gives money to
Armenian charities and still feels a certain abstract loyalty to the
homeland but he felt rather uncomfortable during his visit.

Even though he has the time and money to travel, he has never been
back. "People in Armenia aren't affluent, it's a tough gig. I could go
back but I have never got around to it," he says.

Independent Armenia's attitude to the genocide was also subtly
different from that of the diaspora. The tiny republic's primary focus
was on survival in the dangerous Caucasus region and it wanted to end
its bad relations with Turkey, which had imposed a blockade on its
crucial land border.

In 2009, Armenia's president tried to establish normal trade and
diplomatic relations with Turkey. In exchange, Armenia was considering
dropping its demand for an apology for the genocide and settling for a
vague promise to create a working group of historians to look into
what happened.

As the details of this diplomatic stitch-up leaked out, one of the key
factors that killed it was the opposition from the diaspora, including
Carapiet. He is sympathetic to tiny Armenia's desire not to make
enemies but equally adamant it must not sell out to Turkey. Carapiet
happened to be at a World Bank meeting in Istanbul in 2009 when Turkey
and Armenia were talking about this peace-for-silence deal, and was
outraged Armenia might not extract a clear apology for the genocide.

"I don't think they should have done a deal. There's an order to
things. I think you have to take these things a step at a time.

"First you have to say, 'Yes, this was a wrong,' and then you think,
'How do you right the wrong?'

"Look at the Aboriginal population here. Not everybody is happy with
just an apology but there are huge swaths of people who are more
satisfied than before [Kevin] Rudd said he was sorry."

We have flat whites and not the thick Turkish coffee drunk in Armenia.
In the past decade in Turkey, a new moderate Islamist government with
no ties to the old military establishment has allowed more discussion
about the events of 1915, so the idea of admitting a genocide might
one day be conceivable.

But Carapiet thinks an apology might not be enough. Like many in the
diaspora, Carapiet still thinks an apology should be just a prelude to
reparations to survivors' families. I suggest that, after so many
years, Turkey will never accept this but he says Turkey has to change.
"I have got no links to Turkey but I can recognise that for other
people the symbolism isn't enough. There will be certain instances
where assets were taken that can be given back and should be given
back, and there will be cases where they cannot and they will make
other arrangements," he says.

I ask him if he shares the dream of many exiles that Turkey will give
territory back to Armenia. He says only that he thinks it is funny
that Armenia's national symbol, Mount Ararat, where Noah landed the
biblical ark, is now across the border in Turkey and not Armenia.

Which brings us back to Gallipoli. He is disgusted that politicians
are refusing to talk truth to Turkey just so they can have a seat on
the podium at Anzac Cove on April 25. Carapiet says NSW and South
Australia have specifically acknowledged the genocide and the subject
can be taught in their schools, but the federal government says
nothing. Hockey made speeches in opposition about the genocide but now
remains silent.

Frenchmen also died in their thousands in the Dardanelles campaign but
French President Francois Hollande will miss Turkey and travel to
Armenia to honour the 1.5 million. Carapiet says Australia's past
links to Turkey make it the perfect country to press the genocide
issue.

"I think friends are the best people to call out other friends. If a
friend came and told you the truth, you would actually do something
about it. And if [saying the truth] meant you lost their friendship,
it was not a friendship in the first place."

Carapiet himself has none of the visceral hatred of the Turks that
Armenians did a generation ago. Helen grew up speaking Turkish and
enjoys visiting Istanbul, where many of the traders are still ethnic
Armenians or Armenians who converted to Islam in 1915.

As we turn our gaze back to Sydney Harbour, I ask Carapiet what it
will mean for his children to be Armenian since they will never have
met a survivor and have almost no direct connection to the events of
1915.

Carapiet's answer is relevant to many migrants whose cultures have
been fundamentally changed by catastrophe. "You have to try harder
because you don't have a safety net. There is no safety net."

As we part, Carapiet pulls out his mobile phone. "That's him."

He shows me a scan of a sepia photo of a man dressed in black. It is
Helen's grandfather who survived the death march to Syria and who, in
old age, told his story to her Australian-Armenian husband, the young
Carapiet.

Just as other Australian businessmen might have iPhone snaps of
relatives who fought at Gallipoli, Carapiet always wants to be
reminded of knowing someone who actually survived the death march of
1915. "He really walked," Carapiet says.

[Yervant1]

Fresno Bee, CA
March 28 2015

Armenian genocide: 100 years later, history not forgotten

By Andrea Castillo


In 1958, the years-long massacre of Armenians by Turks well finished,
Fresnans were still being reunited with family members lost during the
struggle.

That November, Mrs. Persape Yegavian, who was kidnapped by the Turks
in 1914, stepped off a plane at the Fresno Air Terminal and into the
arms of two sisters she had not seen in nearly 45 years.

"My god," she said in Armenian," My god, I'm free."

San Joaquin Valley Armenians next month will mark the 100th
anniversary of the beginning of the genocide: April 24, 1915, the day
several hundred intellectuals were arrested and later executed. By its
end in 1923, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians -- two-thirds of the
population -- were dead, many children left orphans.

Nearly 100 years since it started, Fresno Armenians, rejoicing in the
same freedom Mrs. Yegavian first tasted in 1958, are ensuring their
history is not forgotten.

Longtime history

The Valley's Armenian history began decades before the genocide. The
first Armenian settler came in 1881: Hagop Seropian moved from
Massachusetts for his health. Later immigrants were attracted to the
area's farmland and climate.

In 1894, there were 360 Armenians living in Fresno County, according
to Wilson Wallis' 1965 book, "Fresno Armenians." By 1918, the
population was estimated at 10,100.

Those who made it to Fresno alive did so after arduous journeys. From
a 1922 story in The Bee: "After four years of struggle in the
wilderness, through famine-infested Russia, and with the Soviet at its
best and worst, and then through immigration offices at Ellis Island
with a hairbreadth escape from deportation, the Agajanian family,
consisting of 11 members, arrived in Fresno yesterday."

Their pain didn't stop simply by stepping foot on American soil. The
early Armenian-American story would sound familiar to many other
immigrants.

Barlow Der Mugrdechian, coordinator of Armenian studies at Fresno
State, said housing and employment discrimination were widespread in
the early days. He said Armenians were restricted from living in
places like Fig Garden or Sunnyside for a long time, and it was years
before the first Armenian was hired as a teacher or policeman in
Fresno.

In 1923, naturalization officers questioned in court whether Armenians
might be of the Mongolian race and therefore ineligible for
citizenship. "The stake at issue is tremendous, for in the San Joaquin
Valley an adverse decision against the Armenians would create a chaos
as concerns property, which they could no longer legally hold, and
uproot families established for decades," a Bee story said.

And when the Fidelity Bank building (now the Pacific Southwest
Building) opened in 1927, Armenian businessmen were refused office
spaces.

Over time, Armenians in Fresno went from poor laborers to successful
merchants and farmers -- pioneers of the fig and raisin industries.
Once one of the nation's largest Armenian colonies, many left Fresno
for Los Angeles and San Francisco when the Great Depression hit in
1930.

Armenians continued immigrating to the Valley following the collapse
of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the Republic of Armenia. The
community of an estimated 50,000 people boasts local educational
institutions, religious organizations and a yearly cultural festival.

"The attempt to eliminate the Armenians was unsuccessful," said Der
Mugrdechian. "That's a mark of pride, in a sense. They did not only
survive, but did well.

"I think that's the best you can say, that an immigrant came with very
little and was able within two or three generations to achieve
success."

Genocide's toll

Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, coined the term "genocide" in
1943, meaning the deliberate killing of a racial, ethnic, religious or
national group. Lemkin applied his investigation to the Nazi massacres
of Jews as well as the Turk massacres of Armenians.

Indeed, Adolf Hitler reportedly concluded a speech in 1939 by saying,
"Who, after all, speaks today of the extermination of the Armenians?"

Turks reject the conclusions of historians and the term genocide. It
remains a crime to insult the Turkish nation by disagreeing with the
country's stance on what happened to Armenians.

In 1985, Turkish officials told The Washington Post, "It was a great
tragedy, but it was not a genocide."

It started with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, whose ruler was
also the leader of the Islamic community. Ottoman Turks historically
discriminated against the Christian Armenians.

With that power decline, plus later military losses experienced early
in World War I, the Ottoman government used Armenians as scapegoats
for their problems, blaming all Armenians for the guerrilla
nationalists who cooperated with the Russians. Armenians were seen as
a threat to the state.

Thus, the genocide began.

The accounts are tragic: Armenians massacred by Turkish soldiers in
their villages; driven on long "death marches" to concentration camps
in the scorching Syrian desert; beaten, starved, burned alive. As
exiles grew more desperate, children were abandoned on the road or
drowned.

Local survivor Sarkis Boghossian told his story in Bee articles in
1995 and 1997, recalling how Armenians ate from garbage cans to
survive. He also recounted how his siblings, weak from hunger, were
picked up by a carriage driver who mistook them for dead.

"I lost all my family, my sister, my brother," said the 90-year-old
Boghossian, who was 10 at the time of the slaughter. His siblings were
7 and 5. "They picked up all the children and took them to a dump. How
can I forget my live brother and sister who gave their last breath in
the dump where I saw from far away?"

Seeking justice

Armenians now permeate every local industry. William Saroyan, the
Pulitzer prize-winning author and playwright, and Leon S. Peters, a
leading businessman and philanthropist, both were Valley natives.
George Deukmejian, though not from Fresno, became the pride of
California's Armenian community when he was elected governor in 1979.

Visalia native Monte Melkonian is a different kind of celebrity.
Melkonian was lauded as a martyr for going to Armenia, organizing much
of the army in Nagorno-Karabakh, leading them to victory over
Azerbaijan, then dying in battle in 1993. Nagorno-Karabakh was
historically ruled by Armenia, but the breakup of the Soviet Union
left the area officially under the rule of Azerbaijan. The two states
have wrestled over control of the province, where many Armenians live.

Other acts committed in the name of Armenian justice were not regarded
with pride.

In the 1970s and 1980s, several high-profile instances of violence
were committed against Turkish people by Armenian underground groups
seeking retribution. In 1973, an ex-Fresnan shot and killed two
Turkish diplomats in Southern California.

The efforts to seek justice continue. Earlier this month, 40 lawmakers
from the House of Representatives relaunched the latest effort to
officially recognize the Armenian genocide, which has always faced
political and diplomatic opposition. Valley representatives have long
headed the resolution attempt, at least since 1979 when Fresno-area
Republican Rep. Charles "Chip" *****yan introduced a version that,
like those following, went nowhere.

Other commemoration efforts, large and small, have taken place through
the years. Several documentaries about the genocide were filmed in
Fresno. Books on the topic cover the Valley's Armenian colony. For 40
years beginning in 1969, UCLA professor Richard Hovannisian's students
interviewed more than 800 survivors, many in Fresno, for an oral
history project.

Allan Y. Jendian, a member of the Armenian Genocide Centennial --
Fresno Committee, said recognition of the Armenian genocide could
serve to ensure future massacres do not take place. He has been
involved for most of his life with various commemoration committees,
working above all for acknowledgment.

Jendian is a child of survivors -- his father walked the desert during
the death marches of 1915 and watched his own mother die of
starvation.

"The scars are on our bodies yet the Turkish government, to this day,
has not acknowledged it," he said.

But Jendian said Armenians will never forget what happened, with or
without recognition.


http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/28/4450099_armenian-genocide-100-years-later.html?rh=1

[Yervant1]

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
March 30 2015

Crisis averted between the Christian world and Turkey


FATÄ°H ÇEKÄ°RGE


Here is a piece of news first: There would have been a very serious
April 24 crisis between Turkey and the Christian world. The crisis was
averted at the last minute.

Here is what happened: Pope Francis was set to visit Yerevan, Armenia,
on April 24. After Yerevan, he was to visit Turkey. However, with
Turkey's initiative, his visit to Yerevan on April 24 has been
cancelled.

The Armenian diaspora transforming this visit into a `genocide
ceremony' has been prevented.

After that a speech was to come at the Vatican on April 24. That has
also been changed by Turkey's initiatives.

Now, the Pope will deliver a speech on April 12. Will he use the word
`genocide' in that speech? The Armenian diaspora's effort to turn this
speech into a `genocide ceremony' is known.

If the Pope had attended a ceremony in Yerevan on April 24, this would
have been hailed as a victory by the diaspora on the centennial of the
`genocide claims.'

And indeed, it would have turned into a major crisis between the
Christian world and Turkey.
Fortunately, this will not happen.

Now, let us go into details.

I am writing this piece from St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

The sacred week's starting ceremony has been held. There was an
enormous crowd. People came from all places. They were given olive
branches. Live transmission vehicles were present. A latest-technology
sound system was present and the voice of the chorus can be heard from
everywhere in the square.

Writing in such an atmosphere made the perfect décor for the theme.

The other evening, I listened to a Vatican fact beyond Dan Brown's
imagination at a banquet given by our Rome ambassador, Aydın Sezgin. I
happened to be seated next to our Vatican ambassador, Professor Mehmet
Paçacı.

Of course we spoke. I have to say this first: It was a very good
decision to appoint a theologian with a high degree of intellectual
capacity to the Vatican instead of a diplomat.

Professor Paçacı is a very valuable scientist, and of course he has
adopted diplomacy.

During the meal, I was able to learn a lot.

This point was very important: `If the Pope had gone to Yerevan on
April 24, there would have been a serious crisis because he would have
caused the genocide claims to be included in such propaganda. But this
did not happen with Turkey's influence¦'

Actually, Professor Paçacı did not tell me the effect of his own
initiative, because of his humbleness. I learned it later.

The diaspora's efforts to turn April 2015 into a `genocide ceremony'
did not yield any results at the Yerevan leg.

Now, the Pope's April 12 speech is being awaited with curiosity.

If he uses the word `genocide' in that ceremony, then those who want
to transform it into a `genocide ceremony' may have an opportunity.

This is where April 12 stands; from the point of a crisis.

`We have said that we are ready to open all kinds of archives to find
out historic facts. We have also suggested a commission. These are all
known. For this reason, I do not expect the Pope to use that
expression,' Professor Paçacı said.

Yes, the critical day between the Christian world and Turkey is April 12.

We will wait and see¦

March/30/2015


http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/crisis-averted-between-the-christian-world-and-turkey-.aspx?pageID=449&nID=80335&NewsCatID=508

[Yervant1]

LECTURE IN LEBANON ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

13:14, 30 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On March 26, lecture on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
was held at Issam Fares Institute of the American University of
Beirut on the initiative of Lebanese Armenian Heritage Club. Prominent
journalist, The Independent's Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk
was a key speaker at the event.

In his welcoming remarks, lecturer at the American University of
Beirut Khajak Gokchyan mentioned that the Armenian Genocide was a
heinous crime, committed against civilization and humanity against
millennia-old people and its culture.

Robert Fisk qualified massacres of Armenians as the first genocide of
the 20th century, mentioning that German soldiers who served in the
Turkish Army witnessed the events, whose witnesses are essential for
the Armenians. Fisk stressed the fact that the Armenian people gained
a victory through preservation of memory. He spoke about his visit
to Turkey and historic Armenian provinces, mentioning that all the
Turks are well aware of what occurred with Armenians in 1915, despite
Turkish state's denial policy. Robert Fisk noted that exchange of
thoughts and discussion with the Turkish intelligentsia are not enough,
the one is to talk and explain what occurred to the ordinary people.

On March 27, an event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide was organized at "Yerjo Samvelyan" hall of National
Primacy of Beirut on the initiative of Armenian Relief Cross of
Lebanon.

In his opening remarks, Head of Regional Department of Lebanon
Assistance Cross Talin Klbashian reflected on path and mission of
Armenian Relief Society.

Chairperson of Lebanese Centennial Central Body Seda Khtshyan presented
activity of Lebanon Assistance Cross and details of the Armenian
Genocide. She expressed deep gratitude to all the Armenian mothers who
suffered but had considerable role in education of younger generation
and preservation of the language. Summarizing his speech, she noted
that the Armenians continue their just fight through peace-loving
and creative effort.

Member of the Lebanese Parliament Ghassan E. Moukheiber mentioned that
Armenians had their input in flourishing and prosperity of Lebanon. He
indicated that if Armenians fell victims to the Turks, then the
Lebanese people were starving at hands of the same perpetrators of
genocide losing 40 percent of its population. He expressed his support
to the Armenian people and stressed that today the Lebanese support
the Armenian people. Moukheiber added that genocide is crime against
humanity and if it is not prevented then it can be recurred in future.

Prelate of the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon bishop Shahe Panosyan
delivered message, mentioning that Armenian mother and Armenian woman
played existential role in survival armenian people. During the event
documentary movie was screened on the history and horrors the Armenian
people endured, and activity of Lebanon Assistance Cross. Tripoli
"Fayha" choir conducted by Pargev Taslakian performed songs at
the event.

On March 27, an exhibition of Lucy Poshoghlian, dedicated to the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was organized at "Le Gray"
Hotel in sponsorship with the Embassy of Armenia in Lebanon. With
participation of editors of three Lebanese Armenian newspapers a
discussion entitled "Genocide topic on pages of our media: yesterday,
today and tomorrow" was held on the initiative ofLocal Department of
the Tekeyan Cultural Association of Lebanon and Lebanese Centennial
Central Body. Questions regarding valuable publications on the Armenian
issue, publications on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide were raised to the editors. Head of Local Department of
Tekeyan Cultural Association Ani Torosyan anchored the event.

Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon Ashot Kocharian, members of
Parliament, Ministers, politicians and public figures, diplomats,
clergymen, journalists and students attended the event.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/03/30/lecture-in-lebanon-on-the-100th-anniversary-of-the-armenian-genocide/

[Yervant1]

AUSTRALIA NOT TO SEND OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO YEREVAN ON APRIL 24

13:57, 30.03.2015

Australia will not send an official representative for the
commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
in Yerevan, SBS reported quoting the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade.

The Department refused to comment on the reasons for this decision
and on a question whether an official invitation had been received.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia's Executive Director Vache
Kahramanian said it was "Ankara's ongoing gag order on Australia on
the issue of the Armenian Genocide."

"We've heard from many members of Parliament throughout the country
that Turkey continues to use Gallipoli and the centenary of Anzac
Day as a bargaining chip to ensure that Australia does not formally
recognise the Armenian genocide," SBS quotes Kahramanian.

Armenia News - NEWS.am

[Yervant1]

LEONID SLUTSKY: "I RAISED ARMENIAN CAUSE EVEN DURING MY MEETINGS WITH ILHAM ALIYEV"

by Tatevik Shahunyan

Monday, March 30, 14:18

The issue of Armenian Genocide should not be submitted to historians -
something Ankara insists on, Leonid Slutsky, the head of the State
Duma Committee for CIS, Eurasian Integration and Compatriots, told
reporters in Yerevan. He said the issue of the Armenian Genocide
needs a political solution. "Our stand on the Armenian Genocide is
known also to the countries that do not recognize that crime against
humanity, including to Washington," the Russian parliamentarian said.

As regards the discontent of the Armenian parliamentarians at the
"indistinct" formula on the Genocide in the joint statement adopted
after the second meeting of the Armenian National Assembly Committee
for Foreign Relations and the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian
Integration and Compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly
of the Russian Federation. Slutsky said: "We should realize that
sometimes it is useful to yield in small issues to win in the bigger
ones." The Russian parliamentarian reiterated that his stand on the
need to condemn and recognize the Armenian Genocide he voiced during
his foreign visits irrespective of the stand of the country he visits.

"I voiced by stand on the Armenian causes even during my meeting with
Aliyev," the Russian parliamentarian said.

He is sure that Yerevan should use his strategic relations with Moscow
to soften the anti-Armenian rhetoric of Baku and Ankara. "One should
not be out of touch with reality, throwing words and statements
around. It is necessary to use statements so that they do not lose
their value," Slutsky said. In the joint statement by the Armenian
National

Assembly Committee for Foreign Relations and the Committee on CIS
Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Compatriots of the State Duma of the
Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the sides reaffirmed their
stands on the Genocide of Armenians and called on the parliaments of
all countries to condemn and recognize the Genocide against Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923 ahead of the Centennial of that
crime against humanity. The Russian and Armenian parliamentarians
welcomed participation of the State Duma delegation in the Genocide
Centennial commemorations in Yerevan.

Russia recognized the Genocide of Armenians yet in 1995.

http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=152FCB80-D6C6-11E4-A4410EB7C0D21663