California Courier Online, December 21, 2006

1 – Commentary
Ahmet Ertegun Knew What’s Good
For Turkey: Genocide Recognition

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

2 – Application Deadlines Near for 2007 AGBU
New York and Paris Summer Intern Programs
3 – 36th Annual Debutante Ball to be
Held February 18 in Beverly Hills
4 – 1,700-Year-Old St. Thaddeus
Church Renovation Completed
5 – ARPA, UCLA AEF Chair Host
Dec. 21 Lecture on Lost City
6 – Khosrovian/Mathew Company
Leads Flavored Vodka Industry
7 – Dr. Akcam Will Lecture on His
New Book at CSUF on Jan. 21
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1 – Commentary
Ahmet Ertegun Knew What’s Good
For Turkey: Genocide Recognition

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Ahmet Ertegun, the Founder and CEO of Atlantic Records passed away on
Dec. 14, 2006 at the age of 83. He was the most famous Turkish
American. His death was announced in newspapers and TV networks
throughout the world. He was the son of Mehmet Ertegun, the former
Turkish Ambassador to the United States who had played a key role in
pressuring the State Department in the 1930’s to prevent MGM from
making into a movie Franz Werfel’s classic novel, "The Forty Days of
Musa Dagh."
Ahmet Ertegun was a music magnate who launched the careers of many
great singers and groups, such as Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin and the
Rolling Stones.
A couple of years ago, I received a surprising phone call from this
prominent Turk. Ertegun said he was calling from New York to see if
he could meet with me in Los Angeles to discuss Armenian-Turkish
issues. I told him that I usually decline to meet with Turkish
individuals unless they acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. He said
he did acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
Ertegun arrived in Los Angeles with his wife a couple of days later.
He invited me to have lunch with him at the Peninsula Hotel in
Beverly Hills. For more than two hours, we discussed various
Armenian-Turkish issues. It was a fascinating conversation. He was a
gracious man who spoke with great charm, self-confidence and
sincerity. He surprised me by saying that he could not understand why
Turkish officials denied the Armenian Genocide — a fact known to the
entire world. He made it clear that he was not acknowledging the
Genocide in order to appease the Armenians. He believed that it was,
first of all, in Turkey’s interest to acknowledge the Genocide,
because doing so would help Ankara’s application for membership in
the European Union and get rid of the stigma that had haunted his
native land for so many years.
Ertegun said he had read about the Armenian Genocide in many Western
books, but had not seen a single reputable book that denied its
occurrence. He referred to Turkish officials who denied the Genocide
as being "Turk ghafali," implying that they had a stubborn Turkish
mentality. We explored various ideas on how to encourage the Turkish
government to acknowledge the Genocide. He suggested that he and I
fly to Ankara on a private jet and meet with high-ranking Turkish
government officials. I declined by saying that Turkish officials
were not yet ready to acknowledge the Genocide. Instead, I proposed a
number of steps that would prepare the ground for its acknowledgment
by the Turkish government in the future. I told him that if prominent
Turks such as himself, who enjoyed the confidence of the highest
echelons of the Turkish state, would speak out on the Genocide, that
would pave the way for its eventual recognition. He agreed to
consider the possibility of issuing a public statement recognizing
the Genocide.
Before leaving, he asked me again to fly to Ankara with him. I
declined again his invitation and promised to stay in touch with him.
He said he would return to California in a few months and expressed
the hope that we could go Turkey together at a later date. We parted
very amicably. Due to his advanced age and ill health, we could not
meet again, although we spoke several times by phone.
It is a shame that the public statement we had discussed regarding
the Armenian Genocide never materialized. I was aware that he was a
very influential man both in the United States and Turkey. He had
contributed funds to many Turkish causes and had invited influential
U.S. officials to attend Turkish events in New York and Washington,
D.C. I knew that Ertegun was not contacting me because he was
pro-Armenian, but because he sincerely wanted to help erase the
stigma of the Genocide from Turkey’s name. He firmly believed that
once Ankara put the issue of the Genocide behind it, the country
would attain the respect of the international community and would not
waste its efforts and resources to counter Armenian efforts for
Genocide recognition.
I could not write this column while he was alive since I did not want
to make him the target of hate mails and threats from Turkish
extremists by alerting them that he was considering the possibility
of issuing a public statement on the Armenian Genocide. Alas, he
passed away without being able to do so which is a loss for both
Armenians and Turks. I hasten to add that it was a greater loss for
Turkey. Ahmet Ertegun believed that by acknowledging the Genocide,
Turkey would earn many political dividends and lose practically
nothing!
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2 – Application Deadlines Near for 2007 AGBU
New York and Paris Summer Intern Programs
NEW YORK – The AGBU New York and Paris Summer Intern Programs (NYSIP
and PSIP) are currently accepting applications for the 2007 summer
sessions, having concluded another successful year in 2006 with 34
interns from seven countries.
Now in their 20th and 4th seasons respectively, NYSIP and PSIP
provide interns with unique and valuable opportunities to work with
some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Past
internship placements in New York have included the United Nations,
Columbia University Medical Center, Merrill Lynch and Sports
Illustrated. Internships in Paris have included the Louvre Museum,
Saint Ann Hospital, and Universal Music Mobile.
The Summer Intern Programs consist not only of professional
experience in the workplace, but also cultural and life lessons for
the up-and-coming Armenian youth. Participants take part in seminars
on résumé-writing, interviewing, and job networking tips, as well as
tourist activities in order to take advantage of all that each city
has to offer. The internship programs simultaneously include
community service and other activities that emphasize the importance
of giving back to the Armenian community.
NYSIP was launched in 1987, and was conceptualized by Vartkess and
Rita Balian out of the AGBU Central Office in New York. The Paris
Summer Intern Program was initiated in 2003 by the AGBU France
District Committee. The programs strive to give interns a solid
foundation for returning to their local communities with both
enhanced strength in their Armenian identity and increased direction
for their future careers. NYSIP and PSIP hope participants will
benefit from a closer connection to their cultural identity and
become successful professionals and future leaders in their
communities
Application deadlines are fast approaching; submissions are due
December 14, 2006 for NYSIP and January 12, 2007 for PSIP. Students
interested in receiving information or downloading applications can
contact NYSIP at nysip@agbu.org and PSIP at stages@ugabfrance.org.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit
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3 – 36th Annual Debutante Ball to be
Held February 18 in Beverly Hills
LOS ANGELES – Preparations are underway for the 2007 Debutante Ball
to be held February 18, 2007 at the Regent Wilshire Hotel in Beverly
Hills, Calif.
The Ball, which was founded 36 years ago by Diocese Primate
Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, is organized by the Ladies Auxiliary of
the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America under the
leadership of Chairlady, Cindy Norian.
Mrs. Norian noted, "The Debutante Ball is one of the liveliest
traditions in the Armenian community. We are looking forward to an
especially festive event this year. With an unusually large group of
young ladies and their escorts participating we anticipate a huge
crowd and urge people to purchase their tickets early."
The Ball is one of the highlights of the year in the Armenian
community. This year, more than 20 young ladies are being presented.
The evening begins with a cocktail reception, followed by the
presentation. A gourmet dinner is served, after which there is
dancing to both Armenian and American music. Prospective Debutantes
and their mothers attended an informational meeting and luncheon in
the fall in which information was given out about the ball, including
an informal fashion show where past debutantes modeled their gowns.
In December, the Debutantes and their families were guests at the
home of Rose Ketchoyan for a Christmas luncheon.
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian stated, "The organization of the
Debutante Ball should be seen as a mission of the Diocese to present
our young Debutantes and escorts to the Armenian Community. We give
our youth the chance to meet one another in a warm Church setting and
then we assure in their hearts the vision to serve the Lord and the
Armenian Church and become faithful advocates of the Holy Family."
Tickets are $150 each ($100 for students). For reservations, call
Rose Ketchoyan (818) 788-5138. For information about personal
announcements and best wishes in the memory booklet, call Margaret
Lulejian at 818-886-3481.
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4 – 1,700-Year-Old St. Thaddeus
Church Renovation Completed
TEHRAN – (CHN Foreign Desk) — Renovation experts ended their
emergency restorations on the 1,700-year old Armenian Church of Saint
Thaddeus, locally known as Qara Kelisa (The Black Church), in
northwestern Iran, in an attempt to inscribe this ancient monument in
UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 2008.
Qara Kelisa had previously been put up by Iran for UNESCO world
registration in 2007, but the international organization turned down
the application due to lack of substantial documents including those
pertaining to the value of the building and maps of its precincts.
Experts of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO)
are now working on the Church’s dossier to be forwarded to UNESCO for
a final review in 2008.
According to Qara Kelisa project manager, Mehdi Shoja-del, an
equivalent of $60,000 had been allocated to the Church’s initial
restorations which recently came to an end.
Heavy rains had washed away the mortar gluing the stones on the dome
of the St. Thaddeus Church, causing cracks on the dome and its
columns which, according to Shoja-del, were restored by experts
during the initial phase of this project. He also said that the
Church’s surrounding site was reorganized, the northern fortified
tower was restored and the southwestern one was strengthened during
the recent restoration works by experts.
This expert further added that the next phase of the project will
begin once its plan is approved by the Council for the Management of
Churches in Iran and will include restoration of stones on the
Church’s facade, renovation of its museum, and construction of a
center for archiving documents close to the Church.
Northwest Iran is home to the oldest churches in the country among
which Qara Kelisa, St. Stepanos, and Zoorzoor stand out because of
their antiquity.
The St. Thaddeus Church is considered one of the oldest churches in
the world, whose construction began 1700 years ago. Historians
believe that the Church is the tomb of Thaddeus who is said to have
been one of Christ’s disciples who traveled to Armenia, then part of
the Persian Empire, for preaching the teachings of Christ.
Armenians followed Thaddeus’ teachings and converted to Christianity
in 301 AD. Thaddeus was later martyred and buried in the present-day
West Azarbaijan province. A tomb was erected on his burial place by
his followers who turned it into a small prayer house. The building
was later changed into a cathedral in the seventh century AD.
According to the inscriptions remained there, the Church was ruined
in by a devastating earthquake but was later restored in its current
form by a Christian religious figure.
Today the church belongs to the Armenian community of Iran. It has an
international reputation and hosts annual meetings of world Armenians
each year in July-August.
Special features, antiquity, architectural style, decorations, its
religious importance among the world Armenians, and the celebrations
held annually in Qara Kelisa make the Church worthy of inscription in
UNESCO’s list.
Experts from Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization are
also intending to have other famous churches in the province such as
St. Stepanos Cathedral in Khoy and Zoorzoor Church in Chaldoran
included as annexes to St. Thaddeus Cathedral after its registration.
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5 – ARPA, UCLA AEF Chair Host
Dec. 21 Lecture on Lost City
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – The ARPA Institute and the Armenian
Educational Foundation of Modern Armenian History, UCLA are hosting a
lectures/seminar "Tigranakert in Artsakh: Discovery and Initial
Excavations of a Lost Armenian City," on Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m., at the
Merdinian Auditorium, 13330 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, Calif.
The lecturer is Dr. Hamlet Petrosyan, a senior researcher and
professor at the Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of
Armenia. He is the chief of the Tigranakert excavations in Artsakh
and has extensive background in excavations and archeological
research and analytical studies on ancient sites in the Middle East.
Archaeological excavations of Tigranakert by a team of archeologists
from the Institute of Archaeology & Ethnography, National Academy of
Sciences of Armenia, pinpointed in 2005 what it believes to be the
exact location of Tigranakert in Artsakh and carried out short-term
excavations in the city and surrounding areas in 2006.
The discovery of Tigranakert has utmost significance, a city that
unveils the ethnic-cultural homogeneity of Artsakh and Armenia from
the early centuries B.C. to the 13th-14th centuries A.D. The Dec. 21
lecture will present the most recent findings.
For more information, call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)586-9660 or
e-mail Prof. Richard Hovannisian at hovannis@history.ucla.edu
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6 – Khosrovian/Mathew Company
Leads Flavored Vodka Industry
By Greg Gillooly
MONROVIA – San Gabriel Valley husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian
and Litty Mathew are unlikely leaders of a modern revolution in
distilled spirits. Their small Monrovia-based company Modern Spirits
has achieved dazzling results in the mega-brand world of flavored
vodkas.
Vodka is the most basic of the distilled spirits. Made from either
grain or potatoes, it is colorless, odorless and virtually tasteless.
It is usually offered at a throat-searing 80 proof (40 percent
alcohol).
Mathew, a self-described cooking school dropout with an aversion to
the alcoholic burn of high-octane vodka, had to endure lengthy Sunday
dinner with her husband’s Armenian family, who enjoyed vodka.
Khosrovian, eager to preserve both familial harmony and marital
bliss, began concocting batches of infused vodkas in hopes of finding
combinations that his wife and family could enjoy. His experiments
were a huge success. Soon, Khosrovian and Mathew together were
creating custom infusions for friends and private clients, and in
2004 they formed the company Modern Spirits.
What sets Modern Spirits infusions apart from others is their use of
only natural fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. Khosrovian and
Mathew make all of the vodkas themselves, sourcing fruits and
vegetables from local farmers. They even hired their own "forager" to
find truffles for their most exotic offering: Black Truffle Vodka.
They refuse to use "droplets," the chemical flavorings used in most
flavored vodkas. By avoiding distillation after infusion, their
vodkas have a full[bodied flavor. They also reduce the alcohol level
to a more comfortable 70 proof.
This kind of natural goodness does not come cheap, however. All but
the Black Truffle sell for about $24 per 375-ml bottle. The Black
Truffle, if you can find it, will set you back $39. Look for them in
wine and spirits shops throughout the Southland.
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7 – Dr. Akcam Will Lecture on His
New Book at CSUF on Jan. 21
FRESNO – Dr. Taner Akçam, Visiting Professor at the University of
Minnesota, will be speaking about his new book, A Shameful Act: The
Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility, at 3
p.m. on January 21. The lecture will be held in the Peters
Educational Center Auditorium, Student Recreation Center (corner of
Shaw and Woodrow Aves.) at Fresno State and is free and open to the
public.
The lecture is sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno
State, in cooperation with the Zoryan Institute. The Armenian
National Committee, Armenian General Benevolent Union, and Knights
and Daughters of Vartan are so-sponsors for the event.
Dr. Akçam makes a unique, groundbreaking use of Turkish, European,
and American records to finally tell the full story of what the
Ottoman Turks actually planned, intended, and did to their Armenian
population.
Dr. Akçam is one of the very few Turkish historians to acknowledge
the genocide. He follows the chain of events, which lead to the
killings and reconstructs their systematic orchestration by
government officials, civil servants, party hacks, state-run
militias, and the army.
Sociologist and historian Taner Akçam was born in the province of
Ardahan, Turkey in 1953. He became interested in Turkish politics at
an early age. As the editor in chief of a student political journal,
he was arrested in 1976 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Amnesty
International adopted him as one of their first prisoners of
conscience, and a year later he escaped to Germany, where he received
political asylum.
In 1988 Akçam began work as a research scientist at the Hamburg
Institute for Social Research. While researching the late Ottoman
Empire and early Republic, especially the history of political
violence and torture in Turkey, he became interested in the Armenian
Genocide. In 1996 he received his doctorate from the University of
Hanover with a dissertation entitle "The Turkish National Movement
and the Armenian Genocide Against the Background of the Military
Tribunals between 1919 and 1922." Since 2002 he has been a visiting
associate professor of history at the University of Minnesota.
Akçam is the author of ten books and numerous articles in Turkish,
German, English and other languages. A Shameful Act: The Armenian
Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility will also be
translated into Italian, Polish, and French.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Copies of A Shameful Act
will be on sale at the lecture. Free parking is available in Lot V.
For more information on the lecture, contact the Armenian Studies
Program at (559) 278-2669.
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