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07/25/2005
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1) Geneva Grills Turk over Armenian Genocide Remarks
2) Armenia, Georgia Mull Joint Efforts to Ease Hardship in Javakhk
3) Homenetmen Games in Athens off to An Exciting Start
4) Turkey Told Not to Pursue PKK in Iraq
5) Mr. Postman, Is There A Letter for Me?

1) Geneva Grills Turk over Armenian Genocide Remarks

ANKARA (AFP/SwissInfo)–Swiss authorities questioned the leader of a minor
left-wing Turkish party for saying that the killings of Armenians during World
War I could not be classified as genocide, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Dogu Perincek, the chairman of the Workers’ Party (IP), was briefly detained
in the Swiss town of Winterthur where he was taking part in activities marking
the 82nd anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty, the founding accord of modern-day
Turkey, the agency said.
He was questioned by the city prosecutor for three-and-a-half hours before
being released.
Winterthur police spokesman Werner Benz was quoted by the agency as telling
reporters that Perincek was questioned for saying “the Armenian genocide is an
international lie,” a remark deemed to be racist under Swiss law.
“This assertion contravenes anti-racism norms and constitutes a crime under
Swiss law,” a Zurich police official said.
Perincek already faces a complaint lodged in mid-July by the Swiss-Armenian
Association following a speech he gave in May, when he said no genocide of
Armenians ever took place.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, criticized Switzerland for detaining
the Turkish politician. He described Saturday’s questioning as “unacceptable”
and “absolutely contrary to the principle of free speech.”
“It is not possible for us to accept these things to be done to the leader of
a political party in Turkey,” Gul was quoted in the Hürriyet newspaper.
“Do these actions suit a country like Switzerland?” he asked.
Two months ago, the Turkish press reported that judicial authorities in
Winterthur had also launched an investigation against the head of the Turkish
History Foundation, Yusuf Halacoglu, for rejecting claims that Armenians were
the victims of genocide by Turks in a conference in the Swiss town last year.
Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey had been scheduled to travel to
Turkey in 2003, but Ankara withdrew its invitation after the parliament of a
western Swiss canton recognized the killings of Armenians in Turkey as
genocide.

2) Armenia, Georgia Mull Joint Efforts to Ease Hardship in Javakhk

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Prime Minister Andranik Markarian ended a two-day visit to
Georgia on Monday that focused on joint efforts to improve the socioeconomic
situation in the country’s Javakhk region, which is predominantly populated by
Armenians.
Markarian met with President Mikhail Saakashvili and parliament speaker Nino
Burjanadze in Tbilisi, after touring the impoverished area bordering Armenia
and Turkey, together with his Georgian counterpart, Zurab Noghaideli.
Noghaideli greeted Markarian on Sunday as he crossed the Javakhk section of
the Armenian-Georgian border. The two men spent several hours visiting the
regional towns of Ninotsminda and Akhalkalak, as well as several villages.
Markarian described the joint trip as a “historic event” at one of the
meetings with disgruntled local residents. “It is the first time in history
that the prime ministers of neighboring countries meet on the border. I am
sure
that all problems will be resolved with our joint efforts.”
Javakhk’s grave socioeconomic problems are compounded by the extremely poor
condition of local roads that have hardly undergone major repairs since the
Soviet collapse. Officials announced that the Georgian government will finally
start to rebuild them in 2007 with financial assistance which it expects to
receive under the US government’s Millennium Challenge Account program.
Armenia
and Georgia are the only ex-Soviet states eligible for the scheme.
“I think road construction should take between two and three years,”
Noghaideli told reporters. “The Americans will start [financing it] from 2007.
The road construction will be very intensive here.”
The two governments are also making plans for the reconstruction of local
secondary schools that have long fallen into disrepair. Officials said a joint
plan of actions will be finalized this September.
However, road and school repairs alone would not address Javakhk’s number one
problem: unemployment. Scores of local residents have left for Russia and
other
parts of the former Soviet Union in search of jobs over the past 15 years.
“Few
young people are left here,” an elderly man in the village of Gandza
complained
to Markarian. “They want to build a school but there are no students.”
“Things will get better, don’t worry,” the Armenian premier replied.
The region’s single largest employer, a Russian military base in
Akhalkalak is
to be closed in 2008 under a Russian-Georgian agreement signed recently. The
government in Tbilisi has pledged to cushion the resulting loss of hundreds of
jobs.
Saakashvili said earlier this month that Javakhk farmers will become the
principal suppliers of agriculture produce to the Georgian army.
“We need to provide opportunities for economic development and we are doing
that,” said Noghaideli. “I think that in three or four years this region will
change beyond recognition.”
Also on the agenda of Markarian’s talks in Tbilisi were increasingly serious
disputes over ownership of old churches claimed by the Armenian Apostolic and
Georgian Orthodox Churches. One such dispute resulted in a violent clash last
week between residents of a Javakhk village and a group of young Georgians
that
visited a nearby medieval church. The locals believe the visitors were intent
on seizing the church.
Speaker Burjanadze welcomed an Armenian proposal for the two governments to
set up a commission that will look into the matter on a case-by-case basis.
“All people in Armenia and Georgia, including Samtskhe-Javakhk, must realize
that if they incite tension between the Armenian and Georgian populations,
they
will play into the hands of our enemies,” she said without elaborating.
Markarian, likewise, urged a group of Javakhk Armenians to be “prudent and
realistic.” “Do not think that everyone is our friend,” he said. “We and the
Georgian people will build our future and strengthen our states by
ourselves.”

3) Homenetmen Games in Athens off to An Exciting Start

ATHENSOn June 24, the 7th Homenetmen Pan Armenian Games officially kicked off
in the historic and scenic city of Athens, Greece as over 2500 attended the
opening ceremonies at the Olympic Softball Stadium. Various dignitaries,
including high-ranking Greek government officials, were on hand to enjoy the
festive atmosphere and cultural program. Greece’s Vice Minister of
Transportation opened the Games, while Prelate Bishop Khoren Doghramadjian
presided over the ceremonies. With hundreds of athletes, coaches, and
executive
members from more than 12 countries, the games will run through July 31.

4) Turkey Told Not to Pursue PKK in Iraq

AMMAN (Reuters)–Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari warned Turkey against
military incursions to pursue Kurdistan Workers Party rebels using northern
Iraq as a base, saying this could destabilize Iraq.
Zebari said on Sunday that US forces in Iraq were poised to capture the
rebels, who have waged a violent campaign against Turkey to win Kurdish
self-determination for decades. “They are in regions outside the control of
the
central and Kurdish government. If they move the American forces could arrest
them. We have an obligation to Turkey, and to control all non-Iraqi armed
groups and prevent them from activities against neighboring countries,” he
said.
“We refuse any regional military interference in Iraqi affairs, whether
Turkish, Iranian or Arab, because it destroys confidence and shifts the focus
when our priority is finishing the political process, improving the security
situation and providing basic services,” Zebari added.
General Ilker Basbug of the Turkish General Staff said last week the United
States had given orders for the capture of PKK rebels in Iraq, adding that
Turkey had a right to enter Iraqi territory to attack them if no action was
taken.
Turkey on Monday said it had no plan to send troops into northern Iraq to
hunt
the Kurdish rebels but repeated its call to US forces to crush the guerrillas.
“If there is a threat coming from another country, this threat must be
banished,” Government spokesman Cemil Cicek said.
Cicek said the United States, Turkey’s NATO ally, had blacklisted the PKK
as a
“terrorist organization.”
“If it’s a terrorist organization, if it’s disturbing Turkey, we expect steps
to be taken and cooperation to be established. This is what has to be done
between friendly and allied countries,” he said.

5) Mr. Postman, Is There A Letter for Me?

BY SKEPTIK SINIKIAN

This has been one of those Julys that make you think that Eskimos are the
luckiest people on earth. It was 123 degrees in Las Vegas last week. 123
DEGREES! One of the weathermen out there cooked a pizza on a sidewalk. The
cheese melted in 15 minutes and the people who ate it said it tasted good. As
for myself, I grabbed an empty cup of ice to put down my shirt and went to
watch “March of the Penguins” which is a documentary on, what else, but
penguins marching. I thought that the images of glaciers, icebergs, and
penguins would have a psychological cooling effect. It worked up until I
walked outside the theater and thought that I was in Hades.
The reason I’m sharing all of this with you is to set you up for my piece
this
week. Needless to say, I didn’t leave the house much. I stayed inside and
read my emails from readers who, like a literary Ike Turner, used their words
to beat me and then love me, all at the same time.

Let’s open up the mailbag and get started.

Q: You sound like such an arrogant jerk in your columns. What make you think
you can judge Armenians who listen to Arabic and Turkish music? I like rap
and
hip-hop. This don’t [sic] make me a person that don’t love my colture
[sic].
– CClass@—–.com, Pasadena, CA

SS: Thank you for the letter CClass. I may sound like a jerk (Do I
really? I
get that a lot nowadays.oh well) but at least I don’t sound like a fourth
grader who failed grammar and spelling. It’s called spell check and it’s a
standard feature on most computer word processing programs. It’s that
quiggly
red or green lines underneath your writing that probably make most of your
letters look like they’re bleeding?
Anyway, having said all of that, I’m now going to put this issue–from one of
my June columns about weddings–to sleep once and for all.
You might want to write this down. There is nothing is wrong with listening
to Arabic or Turkish music. To me, it’s all the same. If you speak Turkish,
that’s even better. The more languages and cultures you know, the more
successful you will be in life. I truly believe that.
What upsets me the most isn’t people speaking Turkish, or Arabic, or Urdu, or
Pig Latin, but the people who relish speaking those languages more than they
do their own language. On the same note, I think it’s sad that most Armenians
are more willing to dance to the music of other cultures than their own. And
you know why that is? Do you? CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH? Anyway…the reason
is because Armenians don’t even know their own culture very well. Why is
that? That’s because they are afraid of being different.
So in a nutshell, if you’re listening to Turkish music along with Armenian
music and you are simply appreciating it based on its artistic merits, then
that’s fine! It’s not necessarily my cup of Armenian coffee but if a
person is
listening to rap, rock n’ roll, Turkish, Arabic, or any other kind of music
AND
he or she doesn’t know how to dance any Armenian traditional dances, doesn’t
know what the proper, age-old rituals of an Armenian wedding are, then that
person is in denial of who they are.
If you do happen to listen to all these or know these songs, and traditions
but instead choose to have a different wedding out of personal tastes and
preferences then that is understandable. But I’m willing to bet you a hundred
dollars and a sidewalk baked pizza that most folks are clueless and in the
dark
as to what constitutes a traditional Armenian wedding. Most folks know one or
two traditions and think that’s all it takes.
Anyway, I’m not sure if I made my point clearly, but that’s my opinion in a
large pistachio shaped nutshell.
Hope this helps calm your nerves.

Q: Hello Mr. Sinikian. Regarding your article in 07/15/2005 Asbarez “SILENCE
OF THE TURKISH LAMBS,” my research shows that the sheep were apparently upset
at Turkey’s Environment Ministry for changing of their names from “Ovis
Armeniana” to “Ovis Orientalis Anatolicus.” These were some hot headed
Tigranagerdtsis just refusing to be Turkified, “Beeeetter to die then live as
Turk (or Latin? not Armenian)”. What do you think?
— Vatche A., (location unknown)

SS: Interesting observation. I didn’t give the sheep that much credit but
you
might be right. If your theory is correct, then our Tigranagertsi sheep have
more guts than some of our own flesh and blood countrymen. So the real
question here is “Who is the greater sheep? Is it the actual sheep that jumps
off a cliff rather than live as something it is not, or is it the one who
listens to rap and hip-hop and loves his “colture?” OK, I’ll stop, lest I
start sounding like a jerk again. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s tender and
delicate feelings.

Q: I s***** understand your view on June Armenian Event Madness. It’s crazy,
really. My month is July. I’ve never been so annoyed at being so busy. And
none of them are torturous events or anything, just annoyingly packed in their
sheer volume. And yes, I have been and am victim to the two major events on
one day decision. Which will I enjoy more? Not going to which will come back
to bite me…? Life is short, let me do what I want…
Anyways, last thing I’ll say here is that I HATE the “what will others think”
mentality (I AM guilty of it though), ESPEACIALLY when it is the only motive
driving one’s actions. WHO are those others??? Seriously, it’s always a
different other. The only constant is the ridiculous self-consciousness in
the
Armenian community.
Ahh. Who can blame us…I think some of our parents, are pros at this. How
immune can we be to it, growing up in the same household? So before I go on,
best wishes, Sinikian, for saving the world, one entertaining gripe at a time

P.S. (My friend actually e-mailed a group of us that article w/ subject “From
Asbarez–Hilarious!”)
— Anonymous, (from the internet.)

SS: Your comment about our parents raising us to believe in the “What will
others think?” philosophy is absolutely true. It made me think of that
ridiculous 80s anti-drug commercial where a Wall Street type father confronts
his kid with a bag full of white powder and asks, “WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DO
THIS?” and the kid breaks down crying “YOU did. I learned it by watching
YOU!” This answer is followed by a dumbfounded look and a fade-to-black
screen
telling viewers that parents who use drugs have children who use drugs. This
was the precursor to the fried egg “This is your brain on drugs” commercial.
(On an unrelated side note: waitresses at Denny’s don’t think it’s funny when
you order their Grand Slam Breakfast and ask for “two brains on drugs
over-easy”) Don’t fret. Remember that only you can prevent such idiocy from
continuing in our communities and have the power to change your surroundings.
Thanks for the letter and dare I say it, but your friends sound like really
cool people with great taste!

Q: Recently a City Councilmember in Burbank, California was arrested on
charges of possession of cocaine and having loaded firearms in her house in
the
reach of children. So far the people in Burbank have been supportive of her
and she has said she’ll come back to finish her term on the Council. Is it
just me or had this happened in Glendale or to an Armenian, a lynch mob would
have taken the Armenian Councilembmer to the town center, tar and feathered
him, and then hung him by his feet?
— Peter, Burbank

SS: Guns? Cocaine? Politicians? Burbank? I’m sorry I had to read that
paragraph over again and then had to check all the facts of your letter but
you’re right. I just didn’t believe it at first. Wow. This sounds more like
Bogota, Columbia than Burbank, California. I’d pay top dollar to see this
Councilmember at the next town hall meeting reach into her jacket pocket, yell
out “SAY KHELLO TO MY LEETLE FRIEND!” and then pull out a gavel to start the
meeting while wiping powder off her nose, the whole time laughing an insane
drug induced laugh that sounds like a cross between Mozart in “Amadeus” and
Eddie Murphy in “Raw.” What the heck is going on??
I hate to say it, but you’re probably right. I think that sometimes when
there’s a crime to be solved and the suspect is a member of a minority group,
the general public finds it easier to play the blame game. It’s never
society’s fault, or the fact that s/he never watched enough 80s anti-drug
commercials starring Nancy Reagan. It’s almost like there’s a strange
reversal
of law in America whenever a minority is accused of a crime as apposed to
someone who is part of the mainstream. As soon as it’s an African-American
Mayor from DC, an Armenian official from Central California or whoever, the
Napoleonic code of GUILTY until proven INNOCENT becomes the norm. Sad but
true.
All I can say is that this story just goes to show you that nobody’s perfect
and that drugs will ruin anyone’s life no matter what race, color or creed a
person is.
Thanks to all my readers for all their comments, criticisms, questions and
random thoughts. I love you guys for making this column fun for me to write
and I couldn’t keep doing it without you! I’ll see you all next week.same Skep
time.same Skep channel.

Skeptik Sinikian would like to remind all his readers that drugs are bad and
to be cool, don’t be a fool, and stay in school! This message was brought to
you by the Skeptik Sinikian School for Gifted and Talented Rappers and
Hip-Hoppers. To enroll, email SkeptikSinikian@aol.com or visit

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