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BONE MARROW DONORS SOUGHT TO HELP 4-YEAR-OLD ARMENIAN GIRL

KTLA
April 7 2010
CA

Due to the unique genetic makeup of Armenians, it is hard to find
bone marrow matches among existing national registries.

GLENDALE — The family of a 4-year-old girl suffering from
a potentially-fatal blood disease is pleading with the Armenian
community to take part in a bone marrow drive in Glendale.

Charlotte Conybear, of Philadelphia, was diagnosed in the spring of
2009 with aplastic anemia, a failure of the bone marrow to generate
sufficient blood platelets and red and white blood cells. The condition
can prove deadly.

One treatment option is a bone marrow transplant.

Doctors have not been able to find a match for her on the national
registry, or within her family.

Charlotte is part Armenian, which doctors say gives her DNA features
distinct from Europeans, and different genetic diseases.

Her family has been reaching out to Armenian communities across the
U.S. hoping to find a match.

Anyone interested in helping out can participate in the donor drive
at Glendale Memorial Hospital, 1420 S. Central Ave. in Glendale from
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. The drive will be held in the
main auditorium.

A cheek swab and an application is all that is necessary, according
to organizers.

Donors must be between 18 and 50 and available to donate bone marrow
and blood promptly if notified they are the right match. Charlotte’s
treatment might require the donor to give only blood, from which stem
cells are extracted, Philly.com reported.

TURKEY PRE-EMPTS ANY EXCLUSION OF BAKU IN ARMENIA NORMALIZATION

Trend
April 6 2010
Azerbaijan

Ankara believes Azerbaijan is an integral part of a solution to the
problem in the Caucasus and says its exclusion from the process is
out of the question, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

With speculation abounding about the Obama administration’s alleged
quest to neutralize the Azerbaijan factor in the Turkish-Armenian
normalization process, Ankara said it is out of the question for
Turkey to be involved in any formulation that excludes Baku.

"It is unquestionable for Turkey to leave Azerbaijan out of the cycle
in any manner," Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin told the
Hurriyet Daily News on Monday.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week he would
participate in an international nuclear security summit in Washington
on April 12-13, which took him a while to decide after a United States
committee passed a resolution labeling the 1915 killings of Armenians
as genocide.

But the margins of the summit will see diplomatic traffic between
Turkey and Armenia to revive the stalled normalization process.

Erdogan is expected to meet with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian,
and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu does not rule out a meeting with
members of the Armenian diaspora. Although diplomats say the program
is not yet clear, Erdogan may meet with U.S. President Barack Obama
for brief talks on the Ankara-Yerevan reconciliation before April
24, a day of commemoration for the 1915 events when U.S. presidents
deliver an annual message.

Azerbaijan’s absence at the summit, however, is strengthening the
argument of Washington’s so-called plans to eliminate Azerbaijani
pressure on Turkey, so that Ankara could take more progressive steps to
normalize ties with Yerevan. Turkish diplomatic sources told the Daily
News it is up to the host country, namely the United States in this
case, to decide which country to invite to the summit. The diplomats
added Azerbaijan’s non-participation should not be interpreted as
Baku’s exclusion.

Heads of state and government from more than 40 countries are expected
to attend the summit.

"We have not announced the full list of participants to the
international summit yet," U.S. Embassy spokesperson Deborah
Guido-O’Grady told the Daily News when asked if Baku was invited.

She denied the reports over the alleged U.S. plan to exclude Baku
from the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement as "incorrect."

"Azerbaijan and the United States work closely on a wide range of
issues, including the Minsk process, as well as with other countries
in the region including Turkey and Armenia," stated the spokesperson.

Together with Russia and France, the U.S. co-chairs the Minsk Group
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE,
which aims to find a settlement for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Turkey says any solution to the problem will facilitate the
Turkish-Armenian relationship, while Armenia opposes the Turkish
linkage of normalization in ties to the conflict with Baku.

In a briefing last Monday at the Foreign Press Center in Washington,
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said, "Azerbaijan is
a very important partner to the United States. It’s a strong force
for peace and stability in the Caucasus."

Steinberg said he appreciated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s
efforts to support the Minsk process.

"We know these are difficult issues for all of the parties concerned
and that we need to find creative ways to overcome the differences
because, in the long term, deeper integration in the Caucasus, just as
we’ve been discussing in the Balkans, is in the interest of all the
region, and we want to see improved ties among all the key countries
in the Caucasus along with Turkey. There has been an opportunity to
move that forward," he added.

The official also praised the leadership of both Erdogan and Sarkisian
to move forward with the protocols. "We want to support that process.

At the same time we move forward on the Minsk process to try to
resolve the differences between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

ARMENIA HANDS OVER POW RAFIG HASANOV TO AZERBAIJAN

APA
April 7 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Azerbaijani soldier Rafig Rahman Hasanov, who was held
captive in Armenia, has been handed over to Azerbaijan today, State
Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons told APA.

The process was realized on Eraskhavan-Sederek territory of
Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

Soldier of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s military unit, Rafig
Rahman Hasanov, 21, was captured by Armenian servicemen on the line
of contact in Gazakh region on October 8, 2008.

One more Azerbaijani soldier Anar Khanbaba Hajiyev, 20, is being held
captive in Armenia. Hajiyev had been drafted from Goranboy region. He
was captured by Armenian armed forces at 9.45 on May 10, 2009.

SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVES ICC PROSECUTOR GENERAL

Noyan Tapan
Apr 7, 2010

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
on April 6 received Prosecutor General of the Hague-headquartered
International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo who had arrived
in Yerevan in order to attend the 37th forum of the International
Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

Welcoming the guest, S. Sargsyan said: "The fact that people,
who take an active part and have wide experience of human rights
defence and condemnation of crimes against humanity, have arrived
in Armenia is of great importance to us," adding that "naturally,
in recent period there has been much talk about one of the cruelest
crimes against humanity – the Armenian Genocide". L. Moreno-Ocampo
said that their activities are aimed at protecting human rights,
and the prevention of future genocides is one of their primary goals.

The press service of the Armenian president reported that S. Sargsyan
and L. Moreno-Ocampo discussed the opportunities of cooperation.

TURKISH-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT, KARABAKH DEAL SHOULD PROCEED IN PARALLEL

news.az
April 7 2010
Azerbaijan

Terry Davidson The US has clearly shown support for the normalization
of relations between Armenia and Turkey, a US embassy official in
Baku has said.

Terry Davidson, head of public relations at the US embassy, told
1news.az yesterday that, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,
the United States was actively pursuing a peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict.

‘We think that both processes – the normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations and the resolution of the the Karabakh conflict – should
proceed in parallel in order to ensure long-term stability and
prosperity in this region,’ Davidson said.

He commented on the nuclear security summit to be hosted by President
Barack Obama next week.

‘About 40 countries were invited to the summit. Certainly, more
countries are interested in the issue, but only those countries that
have nuclear power stations or large reserves of nuclear materials
have been invited to hold a constructive, healthy dialogue at this
event,’ Davidson said.

WEST DORSET: PARISH WEBSITE INFILTRATED BY TURKISH NATIONALISTS

Bridport News
st_Dorset__Parish_website_infiltrated_by_Turkish_n ationalists/
April 7 2010
UK

TURKISH nationalists are believed to have hijacked a Bride Valley
website that normally publicises the attractions and activities
available in Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington.

Parish Council chairman Tony Edwards was startled and extremely
annoyed to see the Punckowle.net website plastered with Turkish words.

He said: "Not reading Turkish I am not sure what it was. There were
about two identifiable words – one of which was ‘hacking’ which maybe
the same in either language and the other one was something to do
with a 1923 group.

"I didn’t look at it too closely, I was so irritated and had better
things to do with my time."

The Turkish nationals believed to be responsible run a website called
1923Turk.com which outlines the main grievances dating back centuries
they hold against the Chinese, Russians, Serbs, Greeks and Armenians.

Mr Edwards said: "The first thing I had to do was get onto our host
and find out how on earth this could have happened and to get it
taken off. Like any uploading of information to websites, the code
is a secure key known to the originator and people can hack into them.

"We were using free community software and I think the more
straightforward they are the easier they are to hack into to.

"I have not spent a lot of time analysing it. It could be the hackers
picked up some information and decided to be a nuisance. It could
also be that somebody from Turkey was looking to promote their cause.

"The most important thing for me and the web group to do is get on and
replace all the material that was lost and make the site more secure."

Mr Edwards said it was likely to be a few weeks before the website
was up and running again.

In the meantime, he said, Litton Cheney’s Simon Nobes of PanoScope
had dropped everything to help and get a holding page up to say the
site was being rebuilt.

Mr Edwards said police told him as there was no especially offensive
material and the hacker did not make any financial gain they would
not investigate.

Peace of Art
Fort Point P.O.Box 52416
Boston, MA 02205

Tel: 617-460-2091
Contact: Rosario Teixeira

A Retrospective of Varoujan’s Art
by Rosario Teixeira

Watertown, MA – A retrospective of Daniel Varoujan Hejinian’s art is
on display now through May 2nd 2010, at the Armenian Library and
Museum of America, Contemporary Art Gallery, 65 Main Street,
Watertown, MA. The public is invited to a reception on April 22nd from
7 pm to 9 pm.

The exhibit documents the most important aspects of Varoujan’s journey
through the years, and it is comprised of Varoujan’s art work in his
unique Expressionist style; it includes pieces from his Peace of Art
collection which conveys a social message; and Colors of Liberty which
conveys his gratitude for his adopted country. Also on display will be
images of the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards calling for
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which he has sponsored
throughout Massachusetts. Varoujan is the founder of Peace of Art,
Inc., a non-profit educational organization, which promotes peaceful
solutions to conflict. He’s known as the painter of saints because he
painted religious murals in seven Armenian churches.

On April 23rd, 2010 Varoujan will be honored at the Massachusetts
State House during the commemoration of the 95th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide sponsored by State Representative Peter Koutoujian
and State Senator Steve Tolman, for his contributions to the community
with his art. Since 1996, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian has been the man
behind the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards. Each year the
simple message calls for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This
year’s the message states "Yes, We Can Recognize the Armenian
Genocide." One digital billboard has been on display in Foxboro since
early March and on April 6th today another billboard went up in
Watertown. The collection may be viewed at

Varoujan is the son of Armenian Genocide survivors who fled to Syria
during the events that began in April 1915. Growing up, the oral
family history was passed on and the genocide legacy left a deep
imprint on the boy who, at a young age, already expressed his artistic
creativity. "I was born in Aleppo, Syria. My parents were survivors of
the massacres committed by the government of the Young Turks. They
named me Daniel Varoujan, in memory of the great Armenian poet of love
and peace, who was one of the first victims of the Armenian Genocide."

At the age of nineteen, his art work was exhibited at the National
Museum in Aleppo Syria. This solo exhibit would mark a pivotal moment
in Varoujan’s life. Russian dignitaries who attended the event were so
impressed with his art work that they offered him a scholarship to
study art in the prestigious Fine Arts and Drama Institute in Yerevan,
Armenia. Varoujan left Aleppo in 1969 for Soviet Armenia to dedicate
himself to study fine arts, and in 1976 he completed his Master’s
Degree. "As a theme for my dissertation I chose the Armenian
Genocide. The idea for this gigantic work was born in my mind during
my early school years.’

In 1979, he left Soviet Armenia and came to the United States. He left
behind a substantial body of work which became property of the
state. He made Boston his home, where he has raised a family and
continued to paint and develop as an artist. Varoujan’s art work has
been exhibited in many prestigious art galleries throughout the United
States and it is represented in private and corporate collections
around the world. He’s recognized as an international artist, his art
is not confined to country or time. However, Varoujan has remained
close to his Armenian heritage. Varoujan has been honored and has
received several awards for his contributions to the community and for
his artistic achievements.

The exhibit `Varoujan’s Art, a Journey through the Years,’ allows the
viewer to take a glimpse at the artist’s itinerary, how he uses his
talent to make sense of the world, reinvent it, and then propose new
possibilities. Varoujan reveals the best of one’s dreams through his
musical notes and symphonies of color on his canvases. As an artist
he’s timeless, as a man he’s well aware of society’s struggles and
realities. His art work can be viewed at

YEREVAN RAILROAD STATION IS REPAIRED

news.am
April 5 2010
Armenia

Currently Yerevan railroad station is being repaired, due to be
completed by June 1, Acting head of railway "Yerevan Station" Ashot
Hunanyan told NEWS.am.

He assured that during summer holidays when a drastic increase of
passengers is registered, railroad station will welcome everyone
in overhauled premises. Hunanyan informed that after repairing new
box-offices and a waiting room will function.

Interestingly, agency we drew your attention to the poor condition
of Yerevan railway station.

TURKEY’S ERDOGAN CALLS END TO CRISIS OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

World Tribune
April 5 2010

ANKARA — Turkey has decided to end its crisis with the United States.

Officials said the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has
relayed to Washington Turkey’s intention to restore full diplomatic
and military relations with the United States. They said Ankara was
persuaded that the administration of President Barack Obama would not
allow passage of a non-binding resolution that blamed Turkey for the
killing of 1.5 million Armenians in World War I.

"There have been positive developments," Erdogan said.

In a briefing on April 2, the prime minister said he would order the
return of Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, Namik Tan. On March 4,
Tan was recalled from the United States hours after the House Foreign
Affairs Committee adopted the Armenian genocide resolution.

"I will send the ambassador to the United States next week,"
Erdogan said.

The prime minister said he would travel to Washington to attend a
nuclear security summit on April 12. The prime minister had earlier
said he had canceled the visit to the United States.

"I received an invitation five, six months ago to attend an
international event that other countries will also be attending
and that serves a good cause — to prevent the use and spreading of
nuclear weapons," Erdogan said. "I will be going to the United States."

Officials said Erdogan held several telephone conversations with
Obama and senior administration officials. They said the president
as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to press the
Democratic leadership to stop the Armenian genocide resolution from
reaching the House floor.

"Everyone smiled at him when he [Erdogan] vowed not to go [to
Washington]," Turkish parliamentary opposition leader Deniz Baykal
recalled. "Within only 25 days, he rotated 180 degrees."

ribune/WTARC/2010/me_turkey0278_04_05.asp

SMBAT MARGARYAN GETS SILVER IN EUROPEAN WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tert.am
12:17 ~U 06.04.10

On April 5, Armenian weightlifter Smbat Margaryan, only 17 years old,
had an amazing performance in the 2010 European Senior Weightlifting
Championships in Minsk, Belarus, winning a silver medal in the 56
kg category.

Margaryan competed in Group B, lifting 109 kg in the snatch category,
and 146 kg – a European Youth Record – in the clean & jerk. With a
total result of 255 kg, Smbat waited for the Group A participants to
have their turn.

A number of experienced weightlifter competed in this group, however,
it was Vitaliy Derbenev, representing Belarus, who won the gold medal.

Scoring a total result of 256 kg, Derbenev beat Margaryan simply by
1 kg.

Another weightlifter of Armenian origin, Arsen Tamrazian, representing
Russia, also competed in the 56 kg category, coming in at 9th place
by lifting a total of 238 kg.