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THE PROTESTANT ARMENIANS
Vahram Hovyan

"Noravank" Foundation
16 March 2010

The Protestant Armenians form one of the layers of the Armenians who
belong to different confessions. The Protestantism was spread among
Armeniancy in the 19th century. The first Protestant Armenian community
was formed in 1846 in Istanbul by order of sultan Abdulmecid. It
was called "Protestant nation" (millet). At first the number of the
Armenian Protestants grew and they spread over the other regions
of the Ottoman Empire including Western Armenia. On the eve of
World War I the number of the Protestant Armenians was more than
60 thousand1. They lived in Adana, Arabkir, Balu, Berri, Evdokia,
Erzurum, Talas, Kharberd, Kesaria, Marash, Mezire, Cungus, Partizak,
Sebastia, Sis, Sgerd, Sivrihisar, Marsvan, Samsun, Ordu. Carsamba,
Van, Istanbul and Ankara2.

After the Armenian Genocide the Protestant Armenians just like other
Armenians immigrated and settled in different parts of the world. That
is why almost in all the Armenian communities the communities of the
Protestant Armenians form a kind of sub-layer. After the collapse of
the USSR alongside with many other Armenian figures and organizations,
Armenian Protestant activists and structures also came to Armenia and
started eager activity. Particularly, Armenian Evangelistic Church
was re-registered in Armenia in 1994 and acquired the name "Armenian
Evangelical Church". Consequently, the number of the Protestants in
Armenia is also increasing.

Despite being conscious of their confessional peculiarity, the
Protestant Armenians, nevertheless, have high national morale and
they consider themselves a part of the Armeniancy. They do not accept
the idea that they are cut off or estranged from the rest of the
Armeniancy. In the perceptions of the Protestant Armenians the thesis
about the inalienability from the Armeniancy is mostly based on the
discussions and argumentations arisen around two principle issues:

The origin of the Protestantism among Armenians. Here they aspire to
show that the Protestantism is not alien to the Armenians.

The role and the significance of the Protestants in the history of the
Armenian people. An attempt is made to prove that the Protestants made
a valuable contribution to solving the issues and problems standing
before the Armeniancy during its whole history. Special attention is
paid to presenting the well-known Protestant Armenians as worthy sons
of the Armenian people.

The issues of origin in the self-perception of the Protestant
Armenians In the issues of origin the Protestant Armenians have their
own perceptions which mostly contradict to those widespread opinions
according to which the Protestantism was disseminated among Armenians
by the foreign missionaries. Among the Protestant Armenians the
standpoint that the Protestantism has inner Armenian origin prevails.

The foreign missionary activities greatly contributed to the
dissemination of the Protestantism but it did not cause its
origination. American missionaries simply found fertile ground among
Armenians to start up their activity.

The Protestants ground the Armenians origin of the Protestantism or
that it has its roots among the Armenians mainly in two plains which
can conventionally be called:

Sectarian (Pavlikians and Tondrakians) Reformist Sectarian trend
regards Protestantism as the successor of the medieval sectarian
movements – Pavlikians and Tondrakians. This trend shows the religious
commonalities between the Armenian medieval sectarian movements and
Protestantism.

Reformist trend insists that the Protestantism formed here back in the
17th century as a result of a reformist (Evangelist) movement within
the Armenian Apostolic Church. The initiators and the executors of
the reformist movements were the clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic
Church.

At first the reformist wing of the Armenian Apostolic Church peacefully
co-existed with the traditional wing. Though later they were removed
from the Armenian Apostolic Church: "… their deceased remained
unburied, children not christened, young people unmarried, and they
were denied any legal protection…"3. All those problems brought to
the necessity of the establishing the new church. In 1846 by order
of the Ottoman sultan the Protestant Armenians were recognized as a
separate community.

Though these two trends which point out the Armenian origin of
the Protestantism are independent from each other, they are of
conventional character. The point is that, nevertheless, there is
some connection between those two plains. The reformist movement,
which had begun since the beginning of the 17th century, sometimes
is regarded as a revival of the medieval Armenian sectarianism
(Pavlikian and Tondrikian movements). There is a standpoint that
though Pavlikian and Tondrakian movements were defeated, they had not
been fully eradicated and revived in the 17th century in the face of
the reformist movement within the Armenian Apostolic Church. Thus,
the Protestantism is considered as a successor of the Pavlikian and
Tondrakian sectarian movements in the medieval Armenia.

There is also another, not so widespread point of view, which tends
rather to show that the foreign origin of the Protestantism do not
deprive the Armenians of their Armenian identity than to prove the
Armenian origin of the Protestantism. According to this approach, even
if Protestantism was spread among Armenians by the missionary activity
of the foreigners, there is nothing to be afraid of. The history
of the humanity is the history of reciprocal influence of different
civilizations and cultures which, per se, is like a "trade". Different
civilizations, reciprocally influencing each other take and at the
same time give their values. Thus, if the Protestantism has entered
Armenian reality from the external world, one should not make a
tragedy of it. In course of its history Armeniancy has taken lots of
values from other civilizations and cultures and at the same time it
has contributed as well. If the Armeniancy refuses from the values
taken from other civilizations and cultures, its civilizational and
cultural treasury will essentially be impoverished. Thus the segment
of the Armeniancy which adopted the Protestantism as confessional
or religious value from the external world is not reprehensible,
particularly when it does not cause the loss of the national identity
and crisis of the national morale. The Protestant Armenians are the
same Armenians as the others.

The self-perception by the Protestant Armenians of their role in the
past and the future of the Armeniancy The perceptions by the Protestant
Armenians of their role in the fortune of the Armeniancy come to the
conclusion that the Protestant Armenians, just like other Armenians,
suffered persecutions and privations, went through the sorrow which
fell to the lots of the Armeniancy. They have made a great contribution
to the solution of the problems facing Armeniancy (preserving of
the Armenian identity, development of culture and education, social
problems and etc). And their stimulus in the actions of the nationwide
importance was their Armenian roots and not the Protestantism.

The self-perceptions by the Protestant Armenians concerning their
great role in the fortune of the Armeniancy can be divided into
several spheres:

Educational and cultural Preservation of the national identity
Social In educational and cultural sphere a special importance is
allotted to the fact that the Protestant Armenians were the first who
translated the Bible into the modern Armenian language and thanks
to this Christian values became accessible to the Armenians who do
not know Old Armenian (grabar). The Protestant Armenians opened many
schools and educational institutions where Armenian children could
get education of a high quality.

The important role of the Protestantism in the development of the
cultural and educational life is also conditioned by the fact that
the appearance of Protestantism caused competition between Armenian
Apostolic and Armenian Evangelistic Churches and this led the spiritual
and cultural life of the Armeniancy out of the stagnation and became
a serious stimulus to the development. Thus the translation of the
Bible and opening of the Protestant Armenian schools were followed
by the translation of the Holy Script and opening of schools by the
Armenian Apostolic Church. According to the Protestants, without this
competition Armenian spiritual life would have been doomed.

The role of the Protestant Armenians in the sphere of preservation
of the national identity in their personal self-perceptions is
particularly important from the point of view returning of the
Armenians who are on different stages of assimilation to their roots.

In the Ottoman Empire the Protestant missionaries (including Armenians)
began their activity among the forcibly Islamized Armenians too
and returned them to their roots. This fact is also accepted by
the adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Particularly, the
Protestant Armenians make a reference to Raffi who wrote: "Arriving
to Dersim the Protestants began reading Gospel in Armenian for the
Kurdishized Armenians; they taught them their forgotten native tongue.

What do we have to say to those preachers? Do we have to say: "Go and
preach among the pagans. You have nothing to do with Armenians"?4 In
the social sphere the Protestant Armenians carried out and continue
carrying out many social and beneficial programmes in Armenia and
Diaspora. E.g. in 1989 in France the "Hope of Armenia" organization
was established which aim was to help in the restoration of the
districts demolished during the earthquake in Spitak in 1988 and
overcoming the difficulties of the transition period in Armenia5.

According to the self-perception of the Protestant Armenians their
actions are based not on the religious but on the national morale. The
vivid example is the killing of Talaat Pasha by S. Tehlirian in 1921.

As Pargev Taragchian mentions S. Tehlirian killed Talaat Pasha not
because he was a Protestant but because he was an Armenian6. Thus, in
the self-perception of the Protestant Armenians the nationwide actions
are conditioned by their Armenian roots. The important part of the
national identity is the national morale. As Raffi mentions: "…The
national unity is not annihilated by the variety of the confessions.

The unity should be sought in the harmony of those parts; its main
motive should be the nationalism in its high meaning"7.

The Protestant Armenians, despite some of their confessional
peculiarities, have a clear feeling of being a part of the Armeniancy.

Due to the high level of the national morale they constitute the
integral part of the Armeniancy.

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3Hagop A. Chakmakjian, The Armenian Evangelical Church and The Armenian
People

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itz.org/2009/12/blog-post_2262.html

5Interview with the chairman of the Armenian Evangelical Church
Reverend, Doctor Rene Levonian.

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6Barke v N. Darakjian, Armenian Evangelical Identity: Historical and
Theological Perspectives

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PATRIARCH KIRILL: "I FELT AT HOME IN ARMENIA"
Milena Faustova

The Voice of Russia
March 19 2010

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II. Photo: RIA Novosti A joint communiqué between
the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been
signed by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and Catholicos
of All Armenians Garegin II.

Patriarch Kirill, who was enthroned last February, came to Armenia in
line with the long-standing tradition committing any newly-elected
Orthodox hierarch to pay his personal respects to the heads of
autocephalous Orthodox churches around the world.

The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest branches of
Orthodoxy. Armenia adopted Christianity in 301 A.D., becoming the first
country to proclaim it as its state religion. Despite canonical and
ritualistic differences, the Russian and Armenian Orthodox churches
have much in common. The joint declaration signed this week reflects
their shared spiritual past and determines their future relations. A
spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, Father Philipp Ryabykh, hailed
the significance of the document:

The declaration stipulates the joint protection of Christian values
in the modern world at a national, regional and international level.

Also, it pledges cooperation in the social sphere and in dealing with
pseudo-religious organizations. Special attention is given to the
exchange of experience in providing spiritual guidance for servicemen,
youths and convicts. Both sides confirmed their intention to open
church representations in Russia and Armenia.

During his visit, Patriarch Kirill spoke much about the peacekeeping
mission of the Orthodox Church in the Caucasus. Paying tribute to
victims of Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire at a memorial in
Yerevan, he urged Armenians to overcome the past without forgetting it
and think more about the present and future. In his speech at Yerevan
State University, the Patriarch, on behalf of the Russian church,
vowed to continue peacemaking efforts towards promoting a solution to
Armenia’s long-standing dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

He called for closer spiritual and cultural ties between nations:

"The values that cement the basis of our national and spiritual life
are, in the first place, moral values. This is a system of coordinates
that gives man orientation in life. In Armenia, I saw that our nations
profess shared values rooted in our common religion. I am convinced
that the shared aspects of our nations’ historical being form a single
whole. And the rest, including politics, is secondary and should by
no means destroy these shared values".

The Patriarch said that during his visit he had felt at home and not
as a guest. He promised to step up efforts to bolster friendship
between Russians and Armenians. On the last day of his trip, His
Holiness consecrated the symbolic first stone for a new Orthodox
church in Yerevan.

WATERTOWN MUSEUM HOSTS ‘ARMENIANS IN TURKEY 100 YEARS AGO’

Watertown TAB & Press
March 19 2010
MA

WATERTOWN — Turkish journalist and historian Osman Köker will present
his book, "Armenians in Turkey 100 Years Ago," at the Armenian Library
and Museum of America on Wednesday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m.

The event, which marks Köker’s first public appearance on the East
Coast of the United States, is co-sponsored by ALMA, Friends of
Hrant Dink, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
and Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives. Admission is free and
open to the public. A reception will follow.

Köker first came to international attention in 2005 when he organized
the exhibition "Sireli Yeghpayrs (My Dear Brother)" in Istanbul.

Eventually seen by thousands of people, it presented photographs
of Armenian life in pre-genocide Ottoman Turkey, drawn from a large
collection of postcards owned by the collector, Orlando Calumeno. In
the five years since then, the exhibition has also been mounted in
Paris, Munich, Koln, Frankfurt and last year in Yerevan.

Köker originally intended to write a book about Armenian life in the
Ottoman Empire, but with the discovery of the postcard collection, the
scope of the project changed. Following the exhibition, he published
the volume "100 Yil Once Turkiye’de Ermeniler," subsequently published
in English as "Armenians in Turkey 100 Years Ago," featuring hundreds
of images showing where and how Armenians in the Ottoman Empire lived.

Köker was also involved in the creation in 1996 of the Istanbul
Turkish-Armenian daily Agos and Aras Publishing House, the only
publishing house which publishes books in Armenian and books translated
into Turkish from the Armenian.

ALMA is at 65 Main St., in Watertown. Parking is available in the
municipal parking lot behind the Museum and in adjacent areas. For
directions and more information, visit

TURKISH PM DOWNPLAYS THREAT TO EXPEL ARMENIANS

YNet News
March 19 2010
Israel

Erdogan seeks to reassure Armenians after threatening to expel
thousands of illegal immigrants

The Turkish prime minister, facing widespread anger after threatening
to expel thousands of Armenian illegal immigrants, is seeking to
reassure Turkey’s minority Armenian community they were not the target.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Friday his government has championed
minority rights.

Erdogan had said Tuesday in an interview with the BBC Turkish service
that illegal immigrants from Armenia would be expelled, sparking
outrage among the opposition and media.

He made the threat after US and Swedish lawmakers approved measures
to recognize the Ottoman-era killings of Armenians as genocide.

Erdogan’s government complains its efforts to reconcile with Armenia
and reopen their border have not been reciprocated.

‘SOON AS THEY DISGRACE THEMSELVES, THEY BEGIN TO REMEMBER ALEXANDROPOL TREATY’: HOVHANNISYAN RETORS TO REPUBLICAN MP’S COMMENTS

Tert.am
16:56 ~U 19.03.10

"It’s difficult to argue with people whose idea of politics are formed
based on the films ‘Sevan’s Fishermen’ (1938) and ‘Zangezur’ (1938).

[Despite] being a member of Andranik Margaryan’s entourage for so many
years, they still haven’t learned what Dashnaktsutyan’s role is in
this country," said Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun,
or ARF-D) parliamentary faction leader Vahan Hovhannisyan, commenting
on Republican Party of Armenia MP Gagik Melikyan’s statement that
"if by speaking of Dashnaktsutyan’s successful negotiations with the
Turks, Vahan Hovhannisyan meant the approach with the Young Turks or
the Treaty of Alexandropol, then I don’t think the Armenian people
are of the same opinion as him."

According to Hovhannisyan, "as soon as those people disgrace
themselves, they begin to remember the Treaty of Alexandropol or some
other thing."

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== =====15 March 2010
UZBEKISTAN: BAPTISTS FINED 100 TIMES MINIMUM MONTHLY SALARY
id=1421
Uzbekistan has fined 13 members of an unregistered Baptist church 100 times
the minimum monthly salary, Forum 18 News Service has learned. The church
has protested against the fines, claiming that over 60 violations of Uzbek
law were committed in the course of the arrests, detentions and
interrogations which led up to the court proceedings. Amongst the Criminal
Code articles said to be violated were those forbidding the use of violence
by officials. There have been several other recent raids and fines on
Protestants. In one incident after fining three Protestants, Judge Makset
Berdimuratov in the north-western region of Karakalpakstan ordered the
destruction of confiscated Christian books including the Bible. Asked by
Forum 18 why Christians believers cannot keep copies of Bibles in their
homes, the Judge – in a very calm voice – stated that Bibles "must also be
registered with the State Committee, and if they are not they will be
destroyed once found."

16 March 2010
UZBEKISTAN: INTERNET CENSORSHIP CONTINUES
le_id=1422
Uzbekistan continues to impose widespread and swift internet censorship on
Russian-language websites, Forum 18 News Service notes. This was
demonstrated on 9 March, when internet users in the country were blocked
from viewing a Russian-language news article on Lenta.ru (reposted from
Uznews.net) about the difficulties a bearded Muslim in Samarkand
encountered in getting a passport. The Russian news website Ferghana.ru –
which reported the blocking – is one of a number of Russian-based news
websites which Forum 18 notes are blocked within Uzbekistan. Forum 18 has
found that three Russian religion news sites are also blocked. Blocking is
carried out by the NSS secret police. Elbek Dalimov of Uzbekistan’s State
Agency of Communications and Information told Forum 18 that his agency does
not block websites. However Dalimov stated that access to some sites was
banned in licensing agreements with internet providers. Also, Uzbek-based
websites – such as those of the Full Gospel Protestant Union and detained
Muslim journalist Hairulla Hamidov – have been forced by the authorities to
close.

17 March 2010
TURKEY: CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION A TEST OF TURKISH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
_id=1423
Turkish non-recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military
service contributes to conscientious objectors being in an unending cycle
of prosecution – trial – punishment, Güzide Ceyhan notes in a commentary
for Forum 18 News Service <;. The case of Muslim
objector Enver Aydemir demonstrates this. He objects to conscription
because of the military’s "antagonistic feelings towards my beliefs". The
experience of his mother and sister, who were not allowed to visit him in
custody wearing veils, has, he thinks demonstrated this. Similarly trapped
in the prosecution – trial – punishment cycle are Jehovah’s Witness and
secular conscientious objectors. The refusal of the European Court of Human
Rights to address the religious freedom aspects of the Ülke case ignored
the prosecution – trial – punishment cycle’s coercion of a person to change
their beliefs. Sadly, it appears that conscientious objection is – like
non-recognition of the independent legal existence of religious communities
– another example of Turkey’s reluctance to recognise freedom of religion
or belief for everyone.
* See full article below. *

17 March 2010
TURKEY: CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION A TEST OF TURKISH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

e_id=1423
By Güzide Ceyhan

Turkey does not recognise the right to conscientious objection to military
service, along with countries such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Turkmenistan and
– in practice – Armenia, Forum 18 News Service notes. Without recognition
of this right – which is embedded in the right to freedom of religion or
belief – and even lack of any regulations to address their situation,
conscientious objectors find themselves in an unending cycle of prosecution
– trial – punishment.

In spite of Turkey’s repeated statements that legal efforts are underway to
address this problem, the current non-existing or inadequate legal
provisions create great difficulties for conscientious objectors. These
include violations of the right to freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment, and of other fundamental human rights.

The continuing case of a Muslim objector, Enver Aydemir, demonstrates this.
Aydemir is a devout Muslim who objects to serving in the Turkish military
forces because "the elites of the Turkish Military Forces, relying upon
secular values, hold antagonistic feelings towards my beliefs and that I
will never never be a soldier of this order." The Turkish pacifist website
savaskarsitlari.org on 15 March 2010 reproduced his July 2007 letter
explaining this, in which he also commented that:

"I saw how appropriate my attitude was because my mother and my sister, who
came to see me [in military custody] after two days, were not allowed in
the guardhouse because of their veil. As a person whose most precious
values are his faith, I cannot accept the attitude of the elites of the
Turkish Armed Forces against Islamic values. For this reason I declare my
conscientious objection. It is not possible for me to be part of an
institution that insults even the most basic beliefs of Muslims."

Aydemir was detained and then arrested on 24 December 2009 and is held in
Eskisehir Military Prison. Aydemir’s lawyer, Davut Erkan, stated on 15
March 2010 that efforts were underway to trap his client in the prosecution
– trial – punishment cycle. The military prosecutor has asked for Aydemir
to be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for "refusal to follow orders".
Charges of "desertion" have also been raised by the military prosecutor.
Aydemir himself stated, when he was tried on 31 January 2010 that he was
held naked in a cold room and also punished with falaka (a punishment
inflicted by beating the soles of the feet). His father sent a letter of
complaint to the Human Rights Commission of the Turkish Grand National
Assembly, who are investigating the complaint.

For conscientious objectors from a non-Muslim background, denial of
conscientious objection along with the marginalisation of non-Muslim
religious communities has a clear impact on the intolerance and physical
attacks members of these communities experience. This has been demonstrated
in the cases of young male Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have been maltreated
and repeatedly prosecuted in recent years for refusing compulsory military
service on grounds of religious conscience (see F18News 10 July 2007
< e_id=990>).

Compulsory military service in Turkey applies only to men, not to women.
Conscientious objectors to this service fall mainly into two groups:
pacifists who consider themselves ‘total objectors’ to any compulsory state
service, including any or fully civilian service, and Jehovah’s Witnesses,
who reject military service but are willing to serve within a strictly
civilian alternative service regime. There are approximately 89
conscientious objectors who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, according to the
war resistor savaskarsitlari.org web site. About 30 conscientious objectors
are Jehovah’s Witnesses.

One reason for the small number of declared conscientious objectors –
around 120 out of 14,000,000 men in all age groups eligible for military
service – is that declared objectors have to face serious consequences for
refusing military conscription. Many prefer to find other ways of avoiding
military conscription. On 1 June 2008 the Minister of National Defence
stated that around 1,000,000 men had either postponed military service or
evaded the draft. Objectors often prefer to evade military service by
postponing service (for example by continuing their education), working
abroad, or desertion.

As no legal regulations address the situation of conscientious objectors,
each time an objector refuses to wear a military uniform, or refuses
orders, or refuses conscription, it is considered as a refusal to obey
orders and the Military Criminal Code applies. Prosecution and sentencing
then follows. There starts an unending cycle of prosecutions and prison
sentences, because following the first conviction every act of refusal is
reckoned as an independent act of "insistence on refusing to obey orders".
Hence the objector is faced with a tough choice; virtually life long
prosecution and prison sentence, giving up on listening to the voice of his
conscience, or retreating to a life on the run.

Conscientious objection to military service is a legitimate part of
everyone’s right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as the
then UN Human Rights Committee stated in its General Comment 22 on Article
18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It
confirmed this in 2006, in a ruling on the case of Korean Jehovah’s Witness
conscientious objectors, Yeo-Bum Yoon and Myung-Jin Choi (Communications
no. CCPR/C/88/D/1321-1322/2004
< h/tbs/doc.nsf/%28Symbol%29/26a8e9722d0cdadac125727 9004c1b4e?Opendocument>).
The Committee ruled that, Korea’s conviction and sentencing of the two
conscientious objectors was "a restriction on their ability to manifest
their religion or belief". Turkey, like Korea, has ratified the ICCPR and
so this decision has direct implications for Turkey in establishing the
scope of its obligations under Article 18.

Despite this, the government claims that international human rights law
does not protect the right to conscientious objection. This has been the
government’s argument in a case before the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) in Strasbourg about a Turkish pacifist conscientious objector: Osman
Murat Ülke v. Turkey (Application no. 39437/98) (see
< hbkm.asp?action=open&tableö9A27FD8FB86142 BF01C1166DEA398649&key=19858&sessionId=489 04771&skin=hudoc-en&attachment=true>).

The ECHR found against Turkey in January 2006 that Ülke’s conviction and
punishment had been "degrading treatment" under Article 3 ("Prohibition of
torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment") of the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The
Court ruled in extremely strong terms that: "the numerous criminal
proceedings brought against the applicant, the cumulative effects of the
ensuing criminal convictions and the constant alternation between
prosecution and imprisonment, together with the possibility that he would
face prosecution for the rest of his life, are disproportionate to the aim
of ensuring that he performs his military service. They are aimed more at
repressing the applicant’s intellectual personality, inspiring in him
feelings of fear, anguish and vulnerability capable of humiliating and
debasing him and breaking his resistance and will. The clandestine life,
amounting almost to "civil death", which the applicant has been compelled
to adopt is incompatible with the punishment regime of a democratic
society."

However, although Ülke also complained to the ECHR under Article 9
("Freedom of thought, conscience and religion"), the ECHR concluded that
"it was not necessary to give a separate ruling on the [other] complaints."
But the judgment did state that Turkey’s "legal framework is evidently not
sufficient to provide an appropriate means of dealing with situations
arising from the refusal to perform military service on account of one’s
beliefs. Because of the unsuitable nature of the general legislation
applied to his situation the applicant ran, and still runs, the risk of an
interminable series of prosecutions and criminal convictions." The Turkish
government promised to address this, but has yet to do so.

The refusal of the ECHR to address the Ülke case under Article 9 – which
refusal the Turkish Government had argued for – caused great disappointment
among Turkish civil society activists. This failure by the ECHR meant that
it failed to consider an extremely serious consequence of the Turkish
treatment of conscientious objectors. As the cycle of arbitrary detention,
prosecution and prison sentences is severe, it has the effect of applying
strong coercion to a person to change their conscientiously-held belief.

This is clearly an extremely serious violation of everyone’s freedom of
thought, conscience and religion.

In other religious freedom cases involving individuals against states, the
ECHR has also been reluctant to rule on whether there have been breaches of
Article 9 as against other European Convention articles. This was the case
when two Turkish Alevi Muslims successfully brought a case to the ECHR on
the question of compulsory lessons in religious culture and ethics (see
F18News 29 November 2007
< e_id=1053>).

Unfortunately, the ECHR, in an extremely dangerous October 2009 judgement
in the Bayatyan v. Armenia case, has made the extraordinarily mistaken
claim that Article 9 does not guarantee the right to conscientious
objection to military service. This put the ECHR out of step with the
international legal standards on conscientious objection to military
service, including those of the ICCPR, and is being challenged in the Grand
Chamber of the ECHR (see F18News 19 November 2009
< e_id=1377>).

Despite this, especially when the ECHR sees that other Convention articles
are involved, the Court has been becoming increasingly important in
defending freedom of thought conscience and belief in Turkey (see F18News
18 January 2007 < 901>).

The Ülke judgement has, as the Turkish government recognised, serious
implications for Turkey’s legal framework. Article 24 of the 1982 Turkish
Constitution guarantees freedom of religion or belief, and does not allow
suspension of this right even in times of national emergency. Article 72
lists military service as one of the two national service options which are
"the right and duty of every Turk," the second option being an undefined
"public service." There are no conflicts between the Constitution and
potentially recognising the right to conscientious objection.

But this is not the case with Turkey’s laws regulating military service.
The 1927 Military Law states that military service is "compulsory for every
male citizen." Failure to report for military service is, under the
Military Criminal Code’s Article 63, a crime. Article 87 of the Code
describes all subsequent refusals to undertake military service as
"insistence on disobedience to orders." As the Ülke judgement noted, this
opens up "the risk of an interminable series of prosecutions and criminal
convictions."

After the Ülke decision, Turkey informed the Committee of Ministers that
regulations concerning conscientious objection will be made in due course.
The Defence Ministry, in response to a parliamentary inquiry about
conscientious objection, said on 2 June 2008 that work is in progress for a
regulation on this right. However, nothing has to date (March 2010) been
done to fulfil the requirements of the January 2006 ECHR judgment.

Generally speaking, arguments by military circles in favour of not
recognising the right to conscientious objection are either based upon
national security arguments, or the perception that conscientious objection
is a concept foreign to Turkey’s culture. The Ministry of Justice and
Ministry of National Defence state that work on conscientious objection is
ongoing since the Ülke judgment. But no information is available as to the
specific content of this work, or when a result is expected. The reasons
behind this slow progress appear to include the military struggle against
the PKK in eastern Turkey and the many lives lost in this struggle; an
inequality of risk between conscientious objectors and those who risk their
lives in military service; and strong resistance from some parts of
society, because of a deeply rooted notion that (against Turkey’s
international human rights commitments) national security needs always
override religious convictions.

There have only been two positive moves since the ECHR judgment. A draft
code on conscientious objection to military service was submitted on 14
November 2008 to the Grand National Assembly by a Kurdish human rights
defender and parliamentary deputy from the opposition Peace and Democracy
Party (BDP), Akin Birdal. But there is no sign that this may become law, as
so far political parties have been unresponsive to the Bill. Another
significant development is a Decree issued on 3 July 2008 by the Ministry
of Justice, attempting to prevent the endless prosecution – trial –
punishment cycle that objectors have to face. This Decree states that
deserters can only be arrested and detained with a court warrant by the
police. This means that conscientious objectors cannot now be arrested by
military authorities from the recruitment office.

In light of Turkey’s international and constitutional human rights
commitments, will Turkey create a suitable legal regulation to assess
claims of conscientious objection to military service? It seems there is a
strong military and political will not to recognise a right to
conscientious objection. Some developments, such as the Ministry of Justice
Decree, which is in itself a positive step, still give the impression that
the right to conscientious objection will not be recognised soon. This is
because the Decree appears aimed at eliminating the consequences of
non-recognition of conscientious objection, instead of legally addressing
freedom of religion or belief issues that arise when one is forced to act
against genuinely held beliefs.

Sadly, it appears that conscientious objection is – like non-recognition of
the independent legal existence of religious communities – another example
of Turkey’s reluctance to recognise freedom of religion or belief for
everyone. (END)

PDF and printer-friendly views of this article can be accessed from
< e_id=1423>. It may freely be
reproduced, redistributed or quoted from, with due acknowledgement to Forum
18 <;.

For more background, see Forum 18’s Turkey religious freedom survey at
< id=1379>.

More analyses and commentaries on freedom of thought, conscience and belief
in Turkey can be found at
< mp;religion=all&country=68>.

A personal commentary on the European Court of Human Rights and
conscientious objection to military service is at
< id=1377>).

A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
< id=1351>.

A printer-friendly map of Turkey is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=mideast&Rootmap=turk ey>.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Friday, March 19, 2010

YP London Holds Its First Armenian Networking Event

On the evening of November 12, 2009, the AGBU Young Professionals (YP)
London held its first Armenian Networking Event in Bonds London after
nearly a year of planning. Throughout 2009, YP London had been trying to
organize a networking event with the goal of bringing together young
Armenian professionals from London and the surrounding areas. The
inaugural event focused on uniting bright young Armenians working within
such fields as banking and finance, entrepreneurship, medicine and
dentistry, law, and communications and technology. More experienced
professionals also showed up at the event, providing guidance and
mentorship for the ambitious attendees.

With over 90 participants in attendance, the event was without a doubt a
success. Armenian professionals from London and its outskirts were given
an opportunity to network with one another and build business
relationships. University students and junior professionals were
provided with an excellent platform to interact with more established
professionals and seek guidance regarding their career paths.
Participants were also given the chance to break up into different
groups based on their professions. This was particularly beneficial for
the young professionals, as they were able to exchange thoughts and
ideas with people working in similar fields.

As intended, the mood of the event was informal and friendly, creating
an unintimidating environment that encouraged communication and meeting
new people. The feedback on the YP London Networking Event has been
overwhelmingly positive. Time and time again, it was mentioned that
professionals in the Armenian community of London had been waiting for
such an opportunity. YP London plans to organize similar events and
mentorship programs in the future.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

March 19, 2010
___________________________________________

SAINTLY WOMEN’S DAY OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN DIOCESE

Women’s Guild chapters throughout the Eastern Diocese observed Saintly
Women’s Day this month, with special services and programs commemorating the
life of the 14th-century martyr Tamar of Mogk (Tamar Mogatsi), and
discussions focusing on how the lives of saints inform present-day efforts
to preserve the Armenian Christian faith.

Heavy rain and gusty winds pummeled the Northeast, uprooting trees,
crippling electrical grids, and causing heavy flooding. But despite the
weather, Women’s Guilds members gathered from Pennsylvania to New Jersey,
New York, and Rhode Island, for a series of events on Saturday, March 13.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese, presided over a
regional celebration hosted by the Women’s Guild of St. Leon Church in Fair
Lawn. The day began with a service, where the Very. Rev. Fr. Vazken Karayan,
pastor of Holy Cross Church of Armenia of Union City, N.J., spoke about
vocations and the importance of dedicating oneself to serving God.

During the program that followed, Women’s Guild members read the biography
of Tamar Mogatsi. Archbishop Barsamian spoke in detail about Tamar’s story –
how she and her husband sought refuge from invading Seljuks on the island of
Aghtamar, how they were able to raise a family, and how Tamar was later
captured, tortured, and stoned to death for refusing to renounce her faith.

"As Christians, we each become an Aghtamar, an island of holiness and
peace," Archbishop Barsamian said. "And though the storms of the world are
against us, the good that we do will never die, will never be forgotten-and
will inspire others in the future."

The Primate also shared his personal story of becoming a priest in the
Armenian Church, and spoke about how his grandmother inspired him to pursue
his calling.

Megan Jendian, associate coordinator of Christian Education at the Diocese,
spoke about the Biblical definition of sainthood and stressed that
"sainthood is the vocation of every Christian." She presented the hosting
Women’s Guild chapter with a copy of Profiles in Faith: Meditations on the
Lives of Saints.

"Learning about the lives of designated saints is not merely for historical
value," she said, "but rather to illustrate for us their universal
significance and the possibilities available to all of us to live each new
day with certain qualities and virtues."

The program also featured musical performances. Rita Oscherician, who chairs
the Women’s Guild in Fair Lawn and is a member of the Women’s Guild Central
Council, announced Yn. Violet Kasparian as the recipient of the first-ever
"Woman of Wonder" award for her work with the School Bag Project, which she
launched in 1992. Since then, the program has provided more than 10,000
children in Armenia with much-needed school supplies.

Some 130 people attended the event in Fair Lawn, including Women’s Guild
members from the other four New Jersey churches: Holy Cross Church of Union
City, St. Mary Church of Livingston, St. Thomas Church of Tenafly, and St.
Stepanos Church of Elberon. Also present were the Very Rev. Fr. Haigazoun
Najarian, Diocesan Vicar and liaison to the Women’s Guild Central Council;
the Rev. Fr. Diran Bohajian of Fair Lawn; and Fr. Arnak Kasparian.

Gatherings in New York and Pennsylvania

Across the Hudson River, close to 100 Women’s Guild members from St. Gregory
the Enlightener Church of White Plains, N.Y., the Holy Martyrs Church of
Bayside, N.Y., and Holy Cross Church in Manhattan gathered at the New York
City church.

Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian officiated at the morning service, with the
participation of the Rev. Fr. Garnik Halajian, the Rev. Fr. Arten Ashjian,
and the Very Rev. Fr. Davit Karamyan.

Gilda Buchakjian Kupelian, coordinator of Armenian Studies at the Diocese,
gave the keynote address in Armenian and English. She spoke about ways
saintly women – including Tamar of Mogk, Gayane, Hripsime, Queen Ashkhen,
Santouhkt, and other figures – can inspire women in the 21st century. She
encouraged participants to make prayer the focus of their daily lives, and
in this Lenten season to devote time to introspection and renewal. A musical
presentation was also part of the day’s activities.

In Pennsylvania, St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church of Wynnewood hosted the
neighboring parish of Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham. The Rev. Fr. Hakob
Gevorgyan, pastor of Holy Trinity Church, officiated at the service. Also
present was the Very Rev. Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian, pastor of St. Sahag and St.
Mesrob Church. Some 80 people attended the gathering.

Leslie Movsessian, chair of the Women’s Guild Central Council, spoke about
the council’s activities and projects, and encouraged women to get involved
in programming on a Diocesan level.

Guest speaker Rachel Goshgarian, Ph.D., director of the Diocese’s Krikor and
Clara Zohrab Information Center, spoke about saints of the Armenian Church
from a historical perspective. She outlined how ideas about sainthood
developed from the 1st to the 15th centuries, and how by the 14th century
(when Tamar of Mogk lived) resisting pressure to convert to Islam was
considered especially important.

"The hagiographies of the Armenian saints tell the story of the Armenian
Church," Goshgarian said. "It is wonderful that our Women’s Guilds encourage
reflection on this history as it is a source of both pride and awe for all
of us. It was an honor and a pleasure to be invited to speak at St. Sahag
and St. Mesrob Church and to have the pleasure of presenting to such an
enthusiastic and engaged audience."

Inspirational reflections

Pastors and parishioners from Massachusetts gathered last Saturday at Sts.
Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, R.I., including members from Holy
Translators Church of Framingham, the Church of Our Saviour of Worcester,
Holy Trinity Church of Cambridge, St. James Church of Watertown, and Sts.
Vartanantz Church of Chelmsford.

The program, chaired by Nathalie Yaghoobian, drew 85 people, and featured
remarks by broadcasting entrepreneur Donna Rustigian Mac, whose talk, titled
"You and God," focused on developing a positive attitude to overcome daily
challenges. Zita Butler, a member of the Women’s Guild Central Council,
attended the events in Providence.

In upstate New York, several churches marked Saintly Women’s Day on Sunday,
March 14. At St. Peter Church in Watervliet, N.Y., the local Women’s Guild
raised funds they contributed to the Women’s Guild Central Council for the
annual gift or project the organization sponsors for the Diocese.

The Rev. Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian spoke about the recent publication of New
Faith to New World: Stories from the History of the Armenian Church, a
revised edition of the late Dr. Hagop Nersoyan’s classic work, which
features the story of Tamar Mogatsi. The publication of the book was
sponsored by the Women’s Guild Central Council last year.

In Binghamton, N.Y., St. Gregory the Illuminator Church hosted St. Paul
Church of Syracuse. The program was also open to the larger Binghamton
community, including the local historical society and other organizations.
As in Watervliet, a collection was held in Binghamton for this year’s
Women’s Guild Central Council initiative.

At the program following services on Sunday, humorist Dottie Bengoian of
Connecticut spoke about the importance of laughter. Her presentation
interwove spiritual reflections with uplifting stories and jokes. Women’s
Guild chair Adrienne Kachadourian said the event drew more than 50 people
and was well received by attendees.

Other regional celebrations were scheduled at Holy Resurrection Church of
New Britain, Conn., and St. Mesrob Church of Racine, Wis. A number of
individual parishes throughout the Diocese also planned to organize programs
in observance of Saintly Women’s Day. Many parishes collected funds to
contribute to the Women’s Guild Diocesan-wide initiative later this year.

###

Photos attached.

Photo 1: The Rev. Fr. Hakob Gevorgyan, pastor of Holy Trinity Church; Yn.
Anna Gevorgyan; Rachel Goshgarian, director of the Diocese’s Krikor and
Clara Zohrab Information Center; and the Very Rev. Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian,
pastor of St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church, at the event in Pennsylvania.

Photo 2: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, speaks
at St. Leon Church in Fair Lawn, N.J. (Photo by Linda Harutunian.)

Photo 3: The Rev. Fr. Daniel Karadjian, pastor of St. Gregory the
Illuminator Church of Binghamton and St. Paul Church of Syracuse, at the
event in Binghamton.

Photo 4: Megan Jendian, associate coordinator of Christian Education at the
Diocese, speaks at St. Leon Church in Fair Lawn, N.J. (Photo by Linda
Harutunian.)

Photo 5: A service at St. Leon Church was held last Saturday in observance
of Saintly Women’s Day. (Photo by Linda Harutunian.)

TURKEY’S PROBLEM WITH AMERICA
by Christopher de Bellaigue

The Daily Beast
es/2010-03-17/turkeys-problem-with-america/
March 18 2010

Last week a vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee to recognize
the Armenian genocide resulted in Turkey withdrawing its ambassador.

Christopher de Bellaigue on why Turkey can’t come to terms with its
tortured past.

I don’t doubt the good faith of those 23 members of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee who voted on March 4 that the deaths of some 1.5
million Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War
constituted genocide, but I’m not convinced of their wisdom in making
the call. Why? Not because the events of 1915, when the Ottomans
deported the Armenians under conditions that could only result in
their deaths by the hundreds of thousands, are undeserving of odium,
but because legislatures are not the right place to make the point.

The expertise of the Foreign Affairs Committee lies, as you might
expect, in foreign affairs. Its members were helped to reach their
decision by Armenian-American and pro-Turkish lobbyists, including arms
manufacturers chasing Turkish contracts. Any resolution on the subject
is a political token, and of little value as a historical judgment.

Ultimately, the argument will be laid to rest not in apologies, or
indemnities, or monuments, but in the pages of Turkey’s schoolbooks,
where children are still given an airbrushed view of history.

First, the politics. As senators, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and
Joe Biden called for the White House to condemn the tragedy of 1915
as genocide, only to have second thoughts after assuming office. As
a big emerging country of (mostly) western-oriented Muslims, and
America’s partner in the pacification of Afghanistan and Iraq, Turkey
is important. The administration has pledged to stop the resolution
from going to a vote on the floor of the House, which would certainly
excite from the Turks a less measured response that they have so far
exhibited. (Turkey’s ambassador has been recalled to Ankara pending
satisfactory resolution of the affair). On the other hand, a big and
well-organized Armenian lobby exerts pressure of its own; to date,
this lobby has godfathered genocide resolutions in 20 legislatures
around the world.

Rebel Land: Unraveling the Riddle of History in a Turkish Town. By
Christopher de Bellaigue. 288 pages. The Penguin Press. $25.95. It is
hard to argue that the political maneuvering is a dignified memorial
to the victims of 1915, or that it encourages the necessary Turkish
sentiments of regret and remorse, without which the tragedy will always
bleed and the modern states of Turkey and Armenia never become cordial
neighbors. Apart from the impression of unwanted interference–imagine,
a Turkish newspaper columnist wrote this week, if the parliament in
Ankara were to rule that America’s treatment of its native populations
amounted to genocide–each of those earlier resolutions has acted
like an injection of testosterone into the Turkish right, stirring
up xenophobic feeling and endangering those Turks brave enough to
propose an honest appraisal of the past.

Urged on by the country’s notorious ‘Deep State,’ an unholy alliance
of army officers, policemen, and criminals, Turkish nationalists
screamed ‘traitor!’ when in 2005 the novelist (and subsequent Nobel
Prize-winner) Orhan Pamuk referred to the Armenian deaths, leading
to his prosecution and temporary exile in the US. They intimidated
and prosecuted other authors and intellectuals, and in 2007 they
cheered the assassination of an inspirational advocate for Turkey’s
few remaining Armenians: the newspaper editor Hrant Dink.

Dink himself used the word "genocide," but did not insist that everyone
else do so. He discerned the inherently anti-democratic nature of
French and Swiss legislation against genocide denial. He realized
that the most important work was not to be done outside the country,
where Ottoman culpability and Armenian agony had been acknowledged,
but in Turkey, where the official denials spoke of a broader inability
to come to terms with the past. This process has now started, but it
is not without pain of its own, for it necessitates the abandonment
of that axiom, of Turkish virtue and foreign treachery, that Kemal
Ataturk employed when setting up his Turkish Republic in 1923. The
Ottoman state is not the Turkish Republic–in important ways, they are
mutually antagonistic. But modern Turks need to learn and understand
what the Ottomans did. This is not something that hectoring foreigners
can achieve.

If all this sounds like a mealy-mouthed defense of the Turkish
position, it isn’t. Between 2005 and 2008 I devoted many months to
uncovering the fate of the forgotten Armenian population of Varto,
a remote region of eastern Turkey, whose present-day inhabitants,
mostly Kurds with some assimilated Armenians, had adopted the Turkish
habit of denial. I was rarely made to feel welcome in Varto. I was
obstructed every step of the way by the state, the deliberate amnesia
of the people, and the systemic dishonesty of much of Turkish history
writing. Now, I am proud to say, my account of the demise of the
Armenians of Varto has been committed to the page and can never be
eradicated. And I did not hesitate to describe the Armenian gangs who,
during the Russian occupation of 1916 and 1917, engaged in wanton and
indiscriminate acts of revenge, for in this case the sinned against
also did some sinning, as is often the case in unvarnished history.

Turkey is full of Vartos whose story needs to be told; the country’s
past is being opened up, fitfully and not without pain, and this is
being led by normal citizens, although the country’s mildly Islamist
government has lent fitful support. An online apology signed by tens
of thousands; the new ubiquity of books detailing the events of 1915;
belated recognition for those converted or assimilated Armenians
who survived the massacres and death marches–these testify to a new
Turkish readiness to take a step back from the past and evaluate it
dispassionately. A small number of Turkish and Armenian academics are
collaborating fruitfully, and the Ottoman archives are more accessible
to foreign scholars than ever before. Twenty genocide resolutions
have not made this so, but Turkey’s own progress towards becoming a
mature democracy, sure of its place in the world, unafraid of the past.

A twenty-first genocide resolution would achieve nothing save the
strengthening of Turkey’s shady ultra-nationalist fringe-including
those members of the Deep State who are being prosecuted on charges
of plotting against the government. Ultimately, the argument over the
events of 1915 will not be resolved in resolutions or even apologies
(though the latter would certainly help), but in the hearts of
Turks-and in their schoolbooks, which must reflect history as it
happened, and not as they wish it had happened. No Congress resolution
will achieve that. It can only slow the process.

Plus: Check out Book Beast, for more news on hot titles and authors
and excerpts from the latest books.

Christopher de Bellaigue was born in London and has spent the past
decade in the Middle East and South Asia. He has worked as a foreign
correspondent for a number of publications, including the Financial
Times, the Economist, and the New York Review of Books. His previous
book, In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs, was shortlisted for the 2004
Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize. He lives in London with
his wife and son.

STATE DEPARTMENT DENIES DEAL TO BLOCK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION OPPOSED BY TURKEY

Los Angeles Times
tics/wire/sns-ap-us-us-turkey,0,3492358.story
Marc h 17 2010
CA

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional resolution that would recognize
World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide
could go forward despite opposition from the Obama administration.

Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon told reporters there is
no deal with Democratic congressional leaders to block the resolution.

That contradicts earlier claims by the State Department.

"Congress is an independent body, and they are going to do what
they decide to do," Gordon said ahead of speech at the Brookings
Institution.

Turkey strongly opposes the resolution. It withdrew its ambassador
to Washington earlier this month after a congressional committee
approved the measure.

Gordon acknowledged the congressional committee vote had set back
relations at a time when the United States is seeking help from
Turkey to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But he said the United
States has not seen a deterioration in cooperation with Turkey on a
wide range of foreign policy matters.

The Obama administration has urged lawmakers to keep the measure from
a vote in the full House. It is not clear whether supporters of the
resolution have enough support to bring it to the House floor.

"I recognize that we have a tough job ahead of us to garner the
necessary support," said the resolution’s chief sponsor, California
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

Gordon said the resolution is an obstacle for reconciliation talks
between Turkey and Armenia. The two countries reached a deal last
year to normalize relations and open their border, but it has not
yet been ratified by their governments.

But Gordon denied the process had stalled.

"I really think that those two countries’ leaderships are committed
to doing this," he told reporters.

He said that the Obama administration thinks the historical issues are
best addressed by the two countries as part of reconciliation talks.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by
scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey, however,
denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been
inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

In a speech, Gordon urged Turkey to step up pressure on Iran,
a neighbor and important trading partner. He criticized Turkey for
not voting on a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency
demanding that Iran suspend construction of a once-secret nuclear
facility.

"With respect to Iran, while the international community has sought
to present a single, coordinated message to Iran’s government, Turkey
has at times sounded a different note," Gordon said, according to
prepared text of the speech.