Author: Antonian Lara

‘Nig Aparan’ donated a song called ‘Ari Tun’ to the RA Ministry of Diaspora

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YEREVAN: On March 19, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan
received the delegation of the `Nig Aparan’ benevolent, patriotic and
non-governmental organization which donated a song to the Ministry
under the initiative of honorable chairman, RA Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepyan.

The event began with welcoming remarks by Mrs. Hakobyan, followed by a
speech by Mr. Hovsepyan. According to Hovsepyan, the song donation is
an attempt to participate in the `Ari Tun’ project, which has already
become a state policy. Hovsepyan attached importance to the idea of
national unity promoted by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

Following Hovsepyan’s speech was the live performance of the song `Ari
Tun’ by singer Leyla Saribekyan. The song was written by Sergey
Harutyunyan.

After listening to the performance, Mrs. Hakobyan said `even the
golden Armenian language could not express her feelings.’ `The song
`Ari Tun’ is a gift to our people and our unity.’

Inspired by the performance, the attendees tried to perform the song
and started a round-dance with Mrs. Hakobyan and Mr. Hovsepyan.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan handed a letter of gratitude
to Aghvan Hovsepyan for his `pro-national and patriotic activities,
unprecedented initiatives, for conveying the Armenian air and spirit
to the activities of `Nig Aparan’ patriotic union and contributing to
Armenia-Diaspora partnership’.

In the end, the Minister handed gifts symbolizing the `Ari Tun’
project to the participants and emphasized that only through working
together will Armenians be able to create a `strong Homeland and the
Homeland of our dreams’ in order for all Armenians to consider moving
back to the Homeland someday.

RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SUBMITTED IN THE BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT

ArmInfo
2010-03-19 18:13:00

ArmInfo. Bulgaria’s conservative Order, Law, and Justice (RZS) party is
submitting with the Parliament Thursday an official declaration asking
that Bulgaria condemns the Armenian genocide committed by Turkey.

The declaration is in connection with the Thursday visit of Turkish
Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, to Bulgaria and statements of
Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan that the country is prepared to
extradite 100 000 Armenians.

RZS is also requesting an official answer from Prime Minister, Boyko
Borisov, about the policy of the cabinet regarding the Armenian
genocide during World War I.

The party leader, Yane Yanev, says they aim at reaching a consensus
about Bulgaria’s assessment of the tragic events and giving a clear
statement in defense of historical truth as the US and Sweden have
done.

US Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee and the Swedish Parliament
recently approved resolutions to brand the 1915 killing of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, stirring outrage in Turkey.

ARMENIAN FM VOICES DISCONTENT WITH TURKISH PM’S STATEMENT ON DEPORTATION OF ILLEGAL ARMENIAN MIGRANTS

Today
4388.html
March 18 2010
Azerbaijan

Statements by the Turkish Prime Minister about deportation
of all Armenians from Turkey do not contribute to promoting the
Armenian-Turkish dialogue, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
said in a briefing with Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav LajÄ~Mák.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an interview with BBC
threatened to deport all Armenians illegally residing in Turkey.

According to him, today Turkey is home to around 170,000 Armenians,
of whom only 70 thousand are Turkish citizens.

This statement has provoked serious discussions inside Turkey itself,
and many do not understand how such a statement could be made, the
Armenian FM noted.

"We need to move forward and implement those agreements and
understandings reached between the two countries," Nalbandian added.

ERDOGAN: ARMENIAN MIGRANTS COULD BE DEPORTED

Southeast European Times
March 17 2010

ANKARA, Turkey — Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday
threatened that some 100,000 illegal immigrants from Armenia might
be extradited from his country. "There are around 170,000 Armenians
living in our country. Of them, 70,000 are Turkish citizens and the
rest are illegal immigrants who have been on Turkish territory for
over 10 years. If the situation continues to develop like this, we
will have to review our attitude towards them," Erdogan said in an
interview with the Turkish service of BBC. The statement came after
a US committee and Sweden recently approved resolutions to brand the
1915 killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

On Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt issued a
statement expressing his regret over the parliament’s decision to
approve the document. "I informed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on Saturday that I regret the decision of the Riksdag [parliament],
as it paves the way for a politicisation of historical events. I also
expressed my concern that this could be used by forces in Turkey that
are trying to put a stop to the process of reconciliation with Armenia
and the process of reform in Turkey," Reinfeldt said. Swedish Foreign
Minister Carl Bildt has also criticised the parliament’s move.

ARONIAN LOSES 2 BLINDFOLD CHESS GAMES AT AMBER TOURNAMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.03.2010 12:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian has lost 2
blindfold chess games at Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament going
on in Nice, France.

In the 1st round, Aronian lost a blindfold game to Russia’s Sergey
Karjakin, yet managed to win a quick chess game. In the 2nd round,
he was defeated by Norway’s Magnus Karlsen.

In the 3rd round, Aronian will play vs. Jan Smeets (Netherlands)

Currently, Aronian is the 11th. Ukraine’s Vasily Ivanchuk and Ruslan
Ponomariov are in the lead in the overall standings with 3 points from
4 games, followed at half a point’s distance by Vladimir Kramnik and
Peter Svidler.

Levon Aronian (born on October 6, 1982 in Yerevan) is an Armenian
Grandmaster. He is the winner of FIDE Grand Prix in 2008 and 2009 and
2009 World Rapid Chess Champion. He was honored with Movses Khorenatsi
order in 2006 and with an order of merit in 2008.

Voice of America
March 12 2010

Swedish Parliament Labels Armenian Killings in Turkey Genocide

A U.S. congressional committee approved a similar resolution last week
and sent it to the full House of Representatives. The move prompted
Turkey to recall its ambassador to Washington.

Dorian Jones | Istanbul 12 March 2010

Photo: Members of leftist Workers’ Party march to the Sweden Consulate
in Istanbul, Turkey, 12 Mar 2010, a day after Sweden’s parliament
narrowly approved a resolution recognizing the 1915 mass killing of
Armenians in Turkey as genocide

The Swedish parliament’s passage of a resolution recognizing the
killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide is drawing strong
condemnation from Ankara. The vote comes after the U.S. Congress’s
Foreign Affairs Committee passed a similar motion earlier this month.

Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Sweden and canceled a summit in
Stockholm after Swedish lawmakers passed the measure Thursday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the vote calling
it irresponsible.

Similar sentiments came from all of Turkey’s main political parties.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, dismissed the Swedish parliament’s
vote. "We know very well how these decisions are taken," he said.
"This decision has no value on our part. Those who voted are neither
historians or scientists. No need to exaggerate this voting or make
it look like more important than it actually is," he said.

Armenians say Ottoman Turks slaughtered as many as 1.5 million people
from 1915 until 1923. Turkey recognizes that Armenians were killed,
but says the death toll is greatly exaggerated. It says the Armenians
died in a civil war which accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman
Empire.

A U.S. congressional committee approved a similar resolution last week
and sent it to the full House of Representatives. The move prompted
Turkey to recall its ambassador to Washington.

Like the U.S., Sweden is an important ally for Turkey. It is one of
the few country’s in Europe that still strongly advocates Ankara’s bid
to join the European Union.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt reached out to Ankara saying his
government opposed the parliamentary motion and did not want it to
undermine Turkish-Armenian rapprochement efforts.

Turkey and Armenia have been making inroads in restoring diplomatic
relations and resolving their historical differences. Last October the
Turkish and Armenian president signed a protocol to normalize
relations. Ankara has repeatedly warned that those rapprochement
efforts are undermined by countries passing motions accusing it of
genocide.

/europe/Swedish-Parliament-Labels-Armenian-Killing s-in-Turkey-Genocide-87470937.html

ROBERT KOCHARYAN WISHES TO PRESENT NKR IN TALKS: FASSIER

news.am
March 12 2010
Armenia

The sooner Nagorno-Karabakh becomes negotiating party, the better,
said OSCE MG French Co-Chair Bernard Fassier at March 12 NATO PA
Rose-Roth seminar in Yerevan. However, later it was dawn that the
issue is not a matter of an early date.

According to him, speaking of Nagorno-Karabakh participation in
the talks he does not mean Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as it is not
recognized by anyone. The aspiration of Karabakhi people to get
involved in the talks that affect their vital interests is fair,
but this might happen only when all Karabakh citizens including those
living there before the conflict return to their places of residence.

"Once people live in peace and perceive each other as neighbors, and
those living there before the conflict return to their settlements,
then they will have the right for demanding participation in
negotiations," Fassier stated adding that Robert Kocharyan himself
expressed a wish to present both Armenia and Karabakh in the talks.

"At some point Nagorno-Karabakh walked out of the talks and currently
both parties should give their consent to its return. The day when
Karabakhi people participate in the wide-ranging talks will come. And
the sooner, the better," French Co-Chair concluded.

SWEDISH PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE
Seyfo Center

Assyria Times
ews/article.php?storyid=3408
March 12 2010

The Swedish parliament is the first in the world to acknowledge
the Turkish genocide of Assyrians. The historical decision was taken
after a long debate in the parliament on Thursday. It was an extremely
narrow win as 131 parliamentarians voted for and 130 voted against.

Hundreds of Assyrians had gathered outside and inside the parliament
building in central Stockholm to witness the historical decision.

The Turkish embassador to Sweden was immediately ordered to leave the
country and Turkish prime minister Erdogan announced the cancellation
of his planned visit to Sweden the coming week.

Sweden’s pro-Turkish foreign minister, Carl Bildt was very upset by
the decision of the parliament and warned it will harm Swedish-Turkish
relations and Turkish-Armenian relations as the resolution called
for the recognition of not only the Turkish genocide on Assyrians
but also the genocides on Armenians and Pontic Greeks.

The Assyrians in Sweden have been lobbying their parliament for many
years to recognize Seyfo, as the genocide is called in Assyrian. On
Thursday they could finally celebrate their victory.

GUL WARNS POLITICAL DEBATES ON HISTORY HURDLE TO PEACE

Today’s Zaman
March 12 2010
Turkey

Reiterating Ankara’s stance that legislative bodies are not places
to judge history, President Abdullah Gul warned on Thursday that
such attempts both by the US Congress and the Swedish parliament
concerning the killings of Anatolian Armenians during World War I
would eventually harm peace and stability in the Caucasus.

Turkey has expressed outrage over the US House Committee on Foreign
Affairs’ approval last Thursday of a non-binding resolution calling
the killings "genocide," the vote on which was broadcast live on
Turkish television, and recalled its envoy to the United States for
consultations. As of yesterday afternoon, the Swedish parliament was
debating a motion to recognize the 1915 events as genocide.

"First of all, I would like to say that these resolutions have no
currency as far as the Turkish people are concerned," Gul was quoted as
saying by the Anatolia news agency during a visit to Central Anatolian
province of Isparta when reminded of both the US committee vote and the
debate in the Swedish parliament. The debate in the Swedish parliament
had not been finalized by the time Today’s Zaman went to print.

The Swedish parliament had voted on the issue before and approved
a report in 2000 recognizing disappearance of Armenians, Chaldeans,
Syrians, Assyrians and Pontian Greeks from April 1915 as genocide. But
the recognition was later withdrawn "on a technicality."

"All of them are very wrong and constitute unfairness to the science
of history. There can be nothing more wrong than politicians and
individuals who have no knowledge of history making decisions about
history," Gul went on to say.

The issue of the Armenian killings is a deeply sensitive one in
Turkey. Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed
by Ottoman Turks but vehemently denies that up to 1.5 million died
and that it amounted to genocide — a term employed by many Western
historians and some foreign parliaments.

"What I consider important is peace, stability and cooperation,"
the president said.

Turkey has also said the resolution could jeopardize a fragile drive
by Turkey and Armenia to end a century of hostilities and lead to
further instability in the south Caucasus, a region crisscrossed by
oil and gas pipelines to Europe.

"Consequently, the issue of the resolution of problems for peace
and stability in the Caucasus is also important for me. I hope that
everybody will see over time that these kinds of political decisions
are damaging and obstructive to maintaining peace and stability,"
Gul concluded.

A Swedish English-language online daily, The Local, reported yesterday
that the motion in the Swedish parliament had the backing of members
of five of the seven Swedish parliamentary parties, including the
Left Party. While several center-right politicians have supported the
motion and, according to the Left Party’s foreign policy spokesman,
Hans Linde, made their support public on Thursday, the vote’s outcome
is uncertain as the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs has
recommended its rejection, The Local reported.

Some Swedish editorial writers, meanwhile, argued that parliamentarians
are not the right people to define history and that this should be
left to historians.

HAYK BABUKHANYAN: TURKISH ELITE STILL HAS GENOCIDAL MENTALITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.03.2010 19:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US House Foreign Affairs Committee passage of
H.Res. 252, as well as Swedish parliament’s recognition of Armenian
Genocide, proved RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s initiative policy
effective, Constitutional Right Union party leader Hayk Babukhanyan
stated.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, currently Turkey fails to
demonstrate constructive approach in rapprochement process, yet there
is a possibility for it to ratify Protocols before April 24. "Turkey
has to understand that refusal to acknowledge the Genocide will
be used against it. Year after year, more countries recognize the
Armenian Genocide. Turkey can’t keep recalling its ambassadors from
all over the world," he emphasized.

Babukhanyan urged Armenian authorities to exercise vigilance while
normalizing ties with Turkey, as Turkish elite still has genocidal
mentality. "Until Turkey recognizes the Genocide, it will be considered
a hostile state in Armenia," Constitutional Right Union party leader
stated.

Hayk Babukhanyan expressed his disagreement over the statement
of President Emeritus Goran Lennmarker on Azerbaijan being more
interested in Karabakh conflict settlement so as Azeri refugees
could return to their homes. "Armenian Foreign Ministry is to blame
for allowing such views, never having raised the issue of Armenian
refugees’ return during negotiations," he stressed.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation. On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional
Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to
the country’s Organic Law.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.

To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars and
historians accept this view.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out back in 1991, when, subsequent
to the demand for self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people,
Azerbaijani authorities attempted to resolve the issue through ethnic
cleansings, carried out by Soviet security forces (KGB special units)
under the pretext of the implementation of the passport regime and by
launching of large-scale military operations, which left thousands dead
and caused considerable material damage. A cease-fire agreement was
established in 1994. Negotiations on the settlement of the conflict are
being conducted under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
(Russia, USA, France) and on the basis of their Madrid proposals,
presented in November, 2007.

Azerbaijan has not yet implemented the 4 resolutions of the UN
Security Council adopted in 1993, by continuing to provoke arms race
in the region and openly violating on of the basic principles of the
international law non-use of force or threat of force.