20% of Turkish public ready to recognize Armenian Genocide
ARKA News Agency
April 18 2005
An exhibition of photos by Armin Vegner “Armin T. Vegner and Armenians
of Anatoly, 1915” to be opened in the building of AR MFA on April 20
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cyprus to Armenia
hands his credentials to RA President
The reason of violation of ceasefire regime along the front line
between Armenia and Azerbaijan is that Azerbaijan is sure of its
remaining unpunished
Commemorating Armenian Genocide Armenian people keeps on hoping for
voice of justice: Garegin II
Any dialogue with Turkey acceptable: Armenian Premier
RA Prime -Minister expects some positive steps in the position of
Turkey regarding Armenian Genocide issue
No changes should be expected in Turkey’s policy toward Armenian
Genocide during next few years: Lavrenty Barseghyan
Chairmen of Armenian and Perm CCIS sign cooperation agreement
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20% OF TURKISH PUBLIC READY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. A fifth of Turkish public is ready to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, Head of the Armenian Sociological
Society Gevorg Poghosyan stated at a conference “Great Genocide.
Reality and Condemnation”, presenting the results of an interview
which was conducted in Armenia and in Turkey in 2001-2004, and involved
1,200 respondents from 34 Turkish cities, and 1,000 respondents from
21 Armenian cities. The respondents were offered three questions:
knowledge of each other, relations and possibilities of further
development. According to Poghosyan, more advanced sections of
Turkey’s population are psychologically ready to recognize the Armenian
Genocide and will not be surprised if the country’s Government adopts
such a resolution. “Moreover, our contacts with Turks showed that a
considerable number of journalists and writers, who are well aware of
this historical fact and of the fact that sooner or later the Turkish
Government will have to admit the Genocide, lay emphasis on Armenians’
further steps in this matter,” Poghosyan said. He added that they are
in more fear of the Armenian diaspora’s hard line. Poghosyan himself
expressed surprise that Turks made the interview results public on
their TV channels. “It testifies to the fact that the authorities
started discussing this problem with their own people. It is a new
step in Turkey, as for 90 years the Genocide has been passed over in
silence,” he said. Poghosyan added that Armenians are much better
informed of Turkey and the Turks than the Turks of Armenia. He pointed
out that 23 Turkish respondents mixed Armenians with Jews. According
to the interview results, Turks’ attitude to Armenians is better that
Armenians’ attitude to Turks. Poghosyan thinks that the admission
of the Armenian Genocide is an matter of future for Turkey, as it is
directly connected with the country’s admission to the EU. “They will
try to throw this burden sooner or later,” he said. P.T. -0–
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AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOS BY ARMIN VEGNER “ARMIN T. VEGNER AND ARMENIANS
OF ANATOLY, 1915” TO BE OPENED IN THE BUILDING OF AR MFA ON APRIL 20
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. An exhibition of photos by German writer
and humanist Armin Vegner “Armin T. Vegner and Armenians of Anatoly,
1915” will be opened in the building of AR MFA on April 20. According
to the State Commission on organization of arrangements devoted
to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, 64 photos are
exhibited. The photos are taken by a simple photo camera and express
episodes displaying the horror of the genocide – deportation, hunger,
death and will to revival. The photos allow imagining Armin Vegner,
a man and fighter for justice. Armin Vegner during the first world war
was in German sanitary corps and became the witness of the massacre of
Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. Not obeying the instructions not to give
publicity the seen, Vegner collected various kind of information,
statements, notes, letters and photos about Armenian genocide. He
managed with difficulty to keep and send to Germany and the USA part
of photos telling about the horrors of the massacre. In 1915 he was
arrested and sent to Germany. Since 1919 Vegner had had lectures in
German cities telling about the sorrows of Armenians driven by force
to Arabian desert. The same year he sent to the US President Woodrow
Wilson a letter with the appeal to punish the guilty in the Armenian
genocide. The ashes of Vegner was taken to Yerevan and placed in the
memorial wall of the Complex to the victims of the Genocide. Mickele
Vegner, the son of A. Vegner will participate in the exhibition.
A.H.-0–
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THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF CYPRUS TO ARMENIA
HANDS HIS CREDENTIALS TO RA PRESIDENT
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. The Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Cyprus to Armenia Leonidas Pantelides handed his
credentials to RA President Robert Kocharyan. According to the RA
President’s Press Service, issues of broadening cooperation between the
states were discussed by the sides. Pantelides noted that strengthening
cooperation in the framework of international organizations may ply
important role in enlargement of bilateral communication. In his
turn Kocharyan attached much importance to the necessity to review
of the bilateral relations. He added that it was necessary to use
the new opportunities for strengthening the relations. A.H. –0–
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THE REASON OF VIOLATION OF CEASEFIRE REGIME ALONG THE FRONT LINE
BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN IS THAT AZERBAIJAN IS SURE OF ITS
REMAINING UNPUNISHED
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. The reason of violation of ceasefire regime
along the front line between Armenia and Azerbaijan is that Azerbaijan
is sure of its remaining unpunished, as stated AR MFA Press Secretary
Hamlet Gasparyan commenting the recent statements by the OSCE Minsk
Group, according to RA MFA Press Secretary. According to Gasparyan,
it’s obvious that ther statements of the OSCE MG Co-Chairs refer
to Azerbaijani side, since exactly Azerbaijan “rattle the sabre”
and makes bellicose appeals. “Everybody knows who encroaches, and
everybody understands that Azerbaijanians openly violate armistice”,
he said. He also stated that nevertheless nobody says publicly who
is the initiator. “As a result, the Azerbaijanians again and again
infringe armistice”, he concluded. To remind, on April 15, 2005 the
Minks Group co-Chairs made a statement in which they expressed their
concern about the growing tension between Armenian and Azerbaijan, as
well as about public statements by Azerbaijan about the possibility
of resuming war. The co-Chairs found it appropriate to recall that
“such violations are causing needless loss of life and jeopardizing
the cease-fire”. the Co-Chairs strongly urge the sides to reinforce
the cease-fire on the line of contact and refrain from any public
statements that could lead to escalation of the conflict. A.H.–0–
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COMMEMORATING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ARMENIAN PEOPLE KEEPS ON HOPING FOR
VOICE OF JUSTICE: GAREGIN II
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. Marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian people keep on hoping for
the voice of justice, says a message addressed to the conference “Great
Genocide. Reality and Condemnation” by Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II. According to him, during the Genocide “we experienced the
most horrible things that a people may experience.” However, during
those evil days, trusting in God, the Armenian people succeeded in
restoring its national independence, and “the hearths of Armenians
scattered about the world started smoking again.” “Thank God, times
have changed, and many countries and international organizations are
recognizing and condemning the Genocide now,” says the message. The
international community recognizes and condemns the Genocide being sure
that a deserved appraisal of the heinous crime committed 90 years ago
will be of high importance for the humanity’s moving toward peaceful
co-existence and partnership. According to Garegin II, the Armenian
Genocide not only resulted in human victims and destruction of cultural
values, but also was a violation of human and divine laws. In this
context, Garegin II stressed that the triumph of the new century way
of thinking must be in the rejection of permissiveness, which will
put an end to violence, cruelty and humiliation in human life, and
strengthen humanitarian values. “We are praying to the heaven, asking
God for peace and good in the entire world and His blessing of all our
efforts for the triumph of our just cause,” says the message.P.T. -0–
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ANY DIALOGUE WITH TURKEY ACCEPTABLE: ARMENIAN PREMIER
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. Any dialogue with Turkey aimed to specify
both countries’ positions is acceptable, RA Premier Andranik Margaryan
told reporters. According to him, a dialogue at any level may be
useful for the formation of an atmosphere of confidence and for
settling the problem at the diplomatic level. Margaryan is against the
formation of a commission of scholars only to confirm the fact of the
Armenian Genocide. “I do not see the task of confirming the fact of the
Genocide. Numerous people residing in Armenia experienced Genocide and
know about it not just from books,” Margaryan said. He pointed out that
a talk of confirming the fact of the Armenian Genocide with Turkish
scholars is unacceptable for him. “It is only the establishment of
diplomatic relations that can be spoken of. Numerous agreements of
1918-1920 exist, and we must decide which of them are acceptable for
us, and which are not. It means establishing relations between the
two states, not between the Turkish and Armenian peoples, in a new
situation,” he said. P.T. -0–
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RA PRIME -MINISTER EXPECTS SOME POSITIVE STEPS IN THE POSITION OF
TURKEY REGARDING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. RA Prime -Minister Andranik Margaryan
expects some positive steps in the position of Turkey regarding
Armenian Genocide issue. According to him, positive changes will
happen in the position of Turkey considering public opinion abroad,
in particular, among countries-members of EU, and the discussion
of its membership in EU planned to take place in autumn 2005. “It’s
obvious that there is some progress, but how serious it will be and
whether we will see the results of it this year or within the next
years is difficult to say”, he said. Margaryan noted that “everything
should be imagined in process, and not to expect momentary solution
of the problem”. “If our generation achieves that Turkey establishes
diplomatic relations with Armenia, then the borders would open,
economic relations would be established and atmosphere for the
development of further issues would form. This would be both progress
and victory”, he said. A.H. -0–
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NO CHANGES SHOULD BE EXPECTED IN TURKEY’S POLICY TOWARD ARMENIAN
GENOCIDE DURING NEXT FEW YEARS: LAVRENTY BARSEGHYAN
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. No changes should be expected in Turkey’s
policy toward the recognition of the Armenian Genocide during next
few years, Director of the Museum of the Armenian Genocide, Professor
Lavrenty Barseghyan told reporters. According to him, Turkey has been
following this hard line for several years.”When the matter concerns
the adoption to the European Union, they follow a different line,
but when they are faced with the admission of the Armenian Genocide,
they assume a harder stand,” Barseghyan said. He pointed out that in
the context of arrangements on the occasion of the 90th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide Turkey has launched a harder policy. “I am
sure that no progress in Turkey’s admission of the Armenian Genocide
should be expected in the near future,” Barseghyan said. He added that
the Turkish authorities will hardly have enough courage to admit the
Armenian Genocide, as Germany did it in the case of Jews. P.T. -0–
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CHAIRMEN OF ARMENIAN AND PERM CCIs SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT
YEREVAN, April 18. /ARKA/. The Chairmen of the Chambers of Commerce
and Industry of Armenia and of the Perm region, Russia, signed a
cooperation agreement in Yerevan today. Following the signing ceremony,
Acting Governor of the perm region Oleg Chirkunov stated that the visit
of the Russian delegation, which includes businessmen of Perm, will
give an impetus to the development of trade between Armenia and one
of the largest Russian regions. “The agreement will enable Russian and
Armenian business to speak one language,” Chirkunov said. He added that
cultural ties between Armenia and Perm should be developed as well.
During his visit, Chirkunio held meetings with RA President Robert
Kocharyan, Premier Andranik Margaryan, Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II, Governor of the Gegharkunik region Stepan Barseghyan. The
delegation is also scheduled to visit the Armenian State University
of Architecture, as well as the brandy and wine factory. P.T. -0–
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