Author: Badalian Vardan

BBC: POPE FRANCIS’ DECLARATION WAS A BOLD DECISION COHERENT WITH HIS PHILOSOPHY

00:31, 14.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics, Analytics

“Pope Francis, who visited Turkey last year, would have been perfectly
conscious that he would offend the moderate Muslim country by his use
of the word “genocide,” writes BBC reporter David Willey, commenting
on the declaration by Pope Francis at the Mass held on Sunday in the
Vatican, during which he acknowledged the Armenian Genocide.

“But the Pope’s powerful phrase “concealing or denying evil is
like allowing a wound to bleed without bandaging it” extended his
condemnation to all other, more recent, mass killings.

It now remains to be seen how far his remarks will impact upon the
Vatican’s future relations with moderate Muslim states. It was a bold
decision but totally coherent with Pope Francis’ philosophy of open
discussion about moral arguments.

Pope Francis’ focus today on Armenia, the first country to adopt
Christianity as its state religion, even before the conversion of
the Roman Emperor Constantine, serves as yet another reminder of the
Catholic Church’s widely spread roots in Eastern Europe and the Middle
East,” the author says.

As reported earlier, during the Mass on the occasion of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Pope Francis said that humanity
had lived through “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” in
the last century. “The first, which is widely considered ‘the first
genocide of the 20th Century’, struck your own Armenian people.”

FERVENT INTERNATIONAL REACTION MAY FADE IF ARMENIA ISN’T CONSISTENT (VIDEO)

12:50 | April 14,2015 | Politics

Turkey responded very aggressively to the speech of Pope Francis,
who called mass killings of Armenians in 1915 “1st genocide of the
20th century”. Turkey even recalled its Ambassador to Vatican.

Armenian political analysts are surprised at the reaction of Turkey.

Pope just repeated the words said still in 2001 by his predecessor-
Pope John Paul II.

Representative of ARF Armenian Cause Office in Yerevan isn’t surprised
at Pope’s speech. He doesn’t reject that the liturgy in memory of
the Armenian Genocide victims and the speech of Pope, which filled
the media, have been for the benefit of our country.

Fervent international reaction, though, may fade if Armenia isn’t
consistent.

The specialists and politicians don’t exclude that Turkey may try to
take more decisive steps by using both the Armenian-Turkish protocols
and the NK conflict. But at the same time they assure that the state,
which killed 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, will sooner or later
recognize and compensate.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : QUAND LA SOCIETE TURQUE S’EVEILLE

Publie le : 14-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – France5 a diffuse dimanche
12 avril a 22:25, “Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915”, l’excellent
documentaire de Nicolas Jallot consacre au genocide armenien et
a ses repercussions actuelles en Turquie, auprès d’intellectuels
turcs. Il donne la parole a Hasan Cemal, petit-fils de l’un des trois
genocidaires de 1915 (Djemal Pacha), dont le livre 1915 : Genocide
vient de paraître en France, et a l’avocate turque Fethiye Cetin qui
s’est decouvert sur le tard des racines armeniennes : sa grand-mère
maternelle lui a revele avant de mourir qu’elle etait une orpheline
armenienne, dont la famille a ete engloutie dans ce premier genocide du
XXe siècle. Ces deux voix turques ouvrent le champ des possibles mais
ne peuvent faire oublier que la population turque est majoritairement
alignee sur le discours ultra nationaliste et negationniste de ses
gouvernements successifs. Une realite masquee par la conclusion très
consensuelle de Fethiye Cetin, concernant la “reconciliation”.

Autre bemol : Hrant Dink est presente en ces termes :”journaliste
turc d’origine armenienne”. Or, la minorite armenienne de Turquie
beneficie officiellement d’un statut de minorite. Ses membres,
chretiens, sont identifies comme “Armeniens de Turquie”. Et non comme
“Turcs d’origine armenienne”, definition qui correspond aux Turcs qui
– comme Fethiye Cetin – se decouvrent pour partie armeniens a l’âge
adulte mais ne sont pas comptabilises dans les chiffres officiels
du Patriarcat armenien d’Istanbul. “Genocide armenien, le spectre de
1915”, a voir et revoir en Replay.

France5

Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915

Diffuse le dim. 12-04 a 22h25

Nicolas Jallot / Realisateur Nicolas Jallot / Auteur Regis Gente
/ Auteur

Resume 1915. L’Empire ottoman est plonge dans la Grande Guerre,
qui entraînera sa chute. Dans ce contexte historique, plus d’un
million d’Armeniens sont massacres par les Turcs. Le premier genocide
d’un siècle qui n’en sera pas avare. En Turquie, son evocation a
toujours ete occultee. Pourtant, au sein de la societe turque, des
voix s’elèvent pour dire la necessite de la verite. A l’occasion du
centenaire de la tragedie, ce document s’interesse a deux personnages,
un Turc et une Armenienne de Turquie. Hasan Cemal, journaliste et
intellectuel, est le petit-fils de Cemal Pacha, l’un des planificateurs
du genocide. Son cheminement l’a amene a se rebeller contre l’histoire
officielle. Fethiye Cetin, avocate et militante des droits de
l’homme, a decouvert qu’elle etait la petite-fille d’une rescapee du
massacre. Elle oeuvre pour que la Turquie retrouve la memoire.

À visionner ici

Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915

Lire aussi :

Agenda – Hasan Cemal : “1915: Le genocide armenien” aux Editions Les
Prairies ordinaires

FELLIPE BARBOSA READS THE TESTIMONY OF GOHAR SARIAN

April 14, 2015 09:21
EXCLUSIVE

Fellipe Barbosa

Photo: Bart Michiels

Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide
Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors
published by the National Archive of Armenia.

Fellipe Barbosa is a Brazilian filmmaker. His “Salt Kiss” (2007) film
won over 10 international awards. He was featured among Filmmaker’s
Magazine “25 New Faces of Independent Film”.

For 100 seconds project he reads an extract from Armenian Genocide
survivor Gohar Sarian’s testimony.

National Archives of Armenia Collection of Documents

Testimony of Survivor Gohar Sarian on the Massacres of Trabzon
(extract)

[1916] Tiflis

On Saturday, 13 June, the authorities posted an announcement giving
us 5 days to get ready to leave for Mesopotamia.

We could not take any belongings with us or sell them. Everybody had
to hand over everything to the authorities with their hands.

Old, sick, widowed and pregnant women could stay but they had to
produce a certificate from the municipality doctor and the head of
the police to stay on that basis.

No Greek or Turkish families could be seen on the streets. They all
went to villages in order not to see this calamity. We, the women,
gathered and with the children went to the governor. They rudely
turned us out.

We applied to the German consul in the summer house, one hour out of
the town. He received us very badly. We begged him but he ruthlessly
turned us out. We applied to the Austrian consul. He welcomed us, wept
und said:”I wish I could be helpful but there is nothing I can do.”

Producer: Ara
Tadevosyan Filming: Lena Gevorgyan, Mariam Loretsyan Post Production:
Tumo LLC

The source of Gohar Sarian’s testimony: National Archives of Armenia,
Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of survivors,
Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.

ISTANBUL : CONCERT “IN MEMORIAM | 24 AVRIL”

Publie le : 13-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Il y a 100 ans, le 24 avril
1915, 250 intellectuels armeniens de Constantinople (Istanbul) ont
ete victimes d’une rafle et envoyes sur les routes de la deportation
avant d’etre massacres. En souvenir du 24 avril 1915, l’ONG turque
Anadolu Kultur organise, le 22 avril 2015 a 20h30, dans le Palais des
Congrès d’Istanbul a Harbiye, un grand concert reunissant des artistes
turcs, kurdes, armeniens et d’autres artistes internationaux. C’est la
première fois, depuis un siècle, qu’un evenement culturel d’une telle
ampleur est initie – par une association turque – dans la ville meme
où a ete mise en oeuvre l’arrestation des elites armeniennes. Cette
rafle est consideree comme le prelude du genocide orchestre par
le gouvernement Jeune-Turc a l’encontre des Armeniens de Turquie
et des autres minorites chretiennes de l’Empire ottoman. L’action
d’Anadolu Kultur est d’autant plus remarquable et courageuse que le
genocide, dont on commemore le centenaire cette annee, fait l’objet
d’un negationnisme d’Etat de la part de la Turquie (et de son allie
l’Azerbaïdjan); ce qui encourage tous les passages a l’acte haineux,
y compris contre les Turcs qui expriment leur soutien aux Armeniens. Le
Collectif VAN vous propose ci-dessous la traduction de l’annonce en
anglais, en ligne sur le site Anadolu Kultur.

Anadolu Kultur

Concert “In memoriam | 24 avril”

Le Concert “In memoriam | 24 avril” aura lieu le 22 avril 2015 a 20h30,
au Palais des Congrès d’Ýstanbul (Ýstanbul Kongre Merkezi).

Kardeþ Turkuler, Ertan Tekin, Hasmik Harutyunyan, Karine Hovhannisyan,
Erkan Oður, Ara Dinkjian, Onnik Dinkjian, Haig Yazdjian, Þahan
Arzruni, Erman Ýmayhan, Eileen Khatchadourian, Henning Schmiedt, Haig
Sarikouyoumdjian, Gaguik Mouradian, David Mayoral et Jordi Savall se
produiront lors du concert dedie aux intellectuels armeniens, poètes
et ecrivains qui ont ete arretes, envoyes en exil et tues en 1915.

Les debuts de la composition de Zulfu Livaneli “Hommage a Komitas”
seront presentes au public.

En outre, auront lieu des lectures d’oeuvres d’ecrivains et de poètes
armeniens.

Le concert “In memoriam | 24 avril” est realise par Anadolu Kultur
avec le soutien de la Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, de Fineco et de
Project 2015.

* Les billets pour le concert sont disponibles sur Biletix

** Les recettes du concert seront utilisees pour les depenses du
concert.

(c)Traduction de l’anglais Collectif VAN – 9 avril 2015 –

Lire aussi :

La societe civile turque, moteur de la reconciliation avec l’Armenie

Turquie : > du passe

La Turquie fonce vers 2015 avec une politique negationniste

La Turquie renove les eglises armeniennes d’Ani

Istanbul : Exposition sur la Memoire armenienne

Genocide armenien : Erdogan et Gul, Prix Nobel de la Paix ?

TELECHARGER : Affiche

Source/Lien : Anadolu Kultur

CALL ON GOVERNMENTS TO BOYCOTT EUROPEAN GAMES IN BAKU

14:58 | April 14,2015 | Politics

45 international human rights organizations, politicians, experts call
on the heads of the states and the international community to boycott
the European Games in Baku and impose sanctions on the Azerbaijani
officials, informs Contact.az.

The published text reads as follows: “Taking into consideration the
alarming human rights situation in Azerbaijan, the Western governments
must impose a visa ban for those Azerbaijani officials, who are
responsible for violations of human rights.”

According to the statement, it is necessary to stop economic
cooperation with Azerbaijani state institutions. Leaders of the
states, which are going to participate in the European Games in Baku,
are called on to boycott the Games and to organize parliamentary
hearings on the situation in Azerbaijan.

The importance to boycott the European Games is discussed in detail in
the document, in particular, the fact of numerous political prisoners
is highlighted in the document.

GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO CALL FOR EVACUATING ARMENIAN KIDS FROM ALEPPO

12:02 * 14.04.15

The Armenian Government has offered its readiness to assist in the
evacuation Aleppo-Armenian children from the war-torn city.

“The Government is ready to host and offer the necessary conditions
to the children and pupils moving to Armenia from Aleppo,” a source
from the Government’s press service told Tert.am.

It comes after reports emerged about the continuing Islamist rocket
raids in the city’s Armenian-populated district, Suleymanie. The
attacks raised panic among the Armenians of Syria, with many voicing
calls in the social networks for evacuating children from the war zone.

KAREKIN II: INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ESTABLISHMENT OF SAFETY AND JUSTICE WORLDWIDE

by Nana Martirosyan

Tuesday, April 14, 00:35

The Armenian Genocide Centennial urges the humanity not to be
indifferent to people’s anguish, to exert efforts to stop and prevent
crimes against humanity, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II said
during the Vatican liturgy commemorating the Armenian Genocide victims.

Karekin II recalled that a century ago the Ottoman authorities
committed the Armenian Genocide that claimed 1.5 million Armenian
lives. He said that Armenians were deported from their historical
motherland and their property was robbed. “Today our people live in the
blockade imposed by Turkey and Azerbaijan and fight for the freedom
of Artsakh people and restoration of the Armenian people’s rights,
recognition and condemnation of the Genocide”, he said.

Karekin II added that if the humanity had been able to prevent
the Armenian Genocide, it would not have been followed by the
Holocaust, genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur. “We are sure that
the international recognition of the Genocide as an example of human
rights protection and restoration of historical justice can contribute
to establishment of safety and justice all over the world”, he said.

In this light, Karekin II pointed out the significance of publication
of the documents in Vatican’s archives. On behalf of Armenian people,
he thanked those who raise the issue of the Genocide and those who
extended a helping hand to those who fled the massacre.

To note, Pope Francis himself served the liturgy. Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and other
officials from Armenia attended the liturgy. Vatican provided a 10th-
century Armenian theologian and philosopher Grigor Narekatsi with a
rank of a doctor of church.

To recall, Ankara recalled its ambassador from Vatican after Pope
Francis used the term “genocide” when describing the killings of the
Armenians in Ottoman Empire in the early XX century.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT ARMENIANS AND GENOCIDE

New York Times
April 13 2015

By RICK GLADSTONEAPRIL 13, 2015

Pope Francis’ description of the killing of Armenians 100 years ago as
a genocide has caused a diplomatic uproar with Turkey and elevated
resilient historical arguments about what really happened. The
arguments are likely to intensify as Armenia prepares to officially
commemorate the event in less than two weeks.

Here are some questions raised by the pope’s statement, made during
Sunday Mass, and by the response from Turkey, which condemned his
remarks as “baseless” and recalled its ambassador from the Vatican.

Q. What does genocide mean and what is its origin?

A. Genocide is generally defined as the deliberate killing of people
who belong to a particular racial, political or cultural group,
with the intent of the killers to destroy the existence of that
group. The term did not exist until 1944, when a Polish-Jewish lawyer,
Raphael Lemkin, was credited with creating it to describe systematic
mass killings conducted by the Nazis, including the destruction of
Europe’s Jews. According to the website of the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum, Mr. Lemkin combined the Greek word for race or tribe,
“geno,” with “-cide,” from the Latin word for killing. The term was
incorporated into the 1948 United Nations Convention on Genocide.

Q. What is the historical event at issue?

A. It refers to the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, starting in 1915,
when the Ottomans, who were aligned with Germany in World War I,
sought to prevent Armenians from collaborating with Russia and ordered
mass deportations from the empire’s eastern provinces. As many as 1.5
million ethnic Armenians died from the combination of forced exodus,
starvation and killings by Ottoman Turk soldiers and the police. About
500,000 Armenians survived, and many scattered into Russia, the United
States and elsewhere in what became an Armenian diaspora. The term
genocide has been retroactively applied by many historians to that
period, which is now widely acknowledged to be the first genocide of
the 20th century.

Q. Why is Turkey’s government so opposed to the use of the term
“genocide” to describe what happened?

A. Turkey’s government has acknowledged that atrocities were committed
during that period but has argued that a large number of Turks were
also killed, and that to portray the killing of Armenians as systematic
and intentional is historically inaccurate. Turkey’s government has
disputed the number of Armenians killed, suggesting it was far lower
than 1.5 million. The government has often responded angrily when
other countries, groups and individuals call the Armenian killings
a genocide.

Q. How many other countries have taken a position on this question?

A. According to the website of the Armenian National Council of
America, legislatures in at least 15 countries, and the Council
of Europe and the European Parliament, have passed resolutions
recognizing the Armenian genocide. The United Nations Sub-Comission on
the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities has also
described the period as genocide. Some countries, including Switzerland
and Greece, have called for criminal charges against those who deny it.

Q. What is the position of the United States government on use of
the word genocide to describe what happened?

A. Successive administrations have sought to skirt this question
because of Turkey’s growing importance, both as a NATO ally and as an
influential political and economic power in the Middle East. They have
also described the use of the term genocide as harmful to efforts at
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. When President Obama first campaigned
for president in 2008 he used the term genocide but has softened
his description since taking office, calling the period of history
an atrocity and a dark chapter, but resisting efforts by members of
Congress to bring a resolution on the question to a vote. Pope Francis’
use of the term genocide in his Sunday Mass has raised speculation
that Mr. Obama might do so as well.

Q. What special events are planned to commemorate the centennial?

A. Prominent Armenians in the diaspora have already started
commemorating the 100th anniversary. Some have collaborated with
Hollywood celebrities to award a humanitarian prize, starting next
year, in honor of those who helped to save Armenians during that
period. In Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, the centennial will be
officially remembered on April 24 and will be attended by a number
of world leaders, including President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

The parliament of Armenia is also likely to adopt a statement
before the centennial remembrance calling on parliaments and
interparliamentary organizations around the world to recognize the
Armenian genocide.

Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 12 2015

Pope’s Armenia comments one-sided and incoherent: PM DavutoÄ?lu

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu on Sunday blamed Pope Francis
for using a ‘inappropriate’ and ‘one-sided’ language after the pontiff
described the killings of Armenians during World War I as “the first
genocide of the 20th century.”

Speaking at a closing ceremony in Istanbul, DavutoÄ?lu said “only
highlighting one side’s suffering during war time and discriminating
the others’ pain is not appropriate for the pope and the authority
that he holds.”

DavutoÄ?lu also said that the pope’s one-sided and incoherent statement
gives credence to rising racism and anti-Turkish approach in Europe.

On Sunday, Pope Francis called the 1915 incidents involving Armenians
“genocide” on Sunday during a Mass in the Armenian Catholic rite at
the St. Peter’s Basilica, which Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan also
attended.

Following the pope’s remarks, The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned
Vatican’s envoy to Ankara and re called its ambassador to Vatican to
Ankara for consultation and related the message that the incident has
caused “loss of trust” and would be met with a response.

The foreign ministry also released a statement regarding the incident,
saying “Pope Francis, who has defended the opinion of building peace
and friendship between different groups around the world since the day
he was assigned as Pope, has discriminated about people’s suffering,
overlooked atrocities that Turks and Muslims suffered in the First
World War and only highlighted the Christian suffering, especially
that of the Armenian people.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÃ…?oÄ?lu also slammed Pope’s
statement earlier in the day via social media, saying: The Pope’s
statement, which is out of touch with both historical facts and legal
basis, is simply unacceptable.

“Religious offices are not places through which hatred and animosity
are fueled by unfounded allegations,” ÇavuÃ…?oÄ?lu shared through
Twitter.

The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following
the revolts and there were Armenian casualties during the relocation
process.

Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey has
officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents saying
that, although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also
lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.

The Turkish government has repeatedly called on historians to study
Ottoman archives pertaining to the era in order to uncover what
actually happened between the Ottoman government and its Armenian
citizens.

The debate on “genocide” and the differing opinions between the
present day Turkish government and the Armenian diaspora, along with
the current administration in Yerevan, still generates political
tension between Turks and Armenians.

Turkey’s official position against allegations of “genocide” is that
it acknowledges the past experiences were a great tragedy and that
both parties suffered heavy casualties, including hundreds of Muslim
Turks.

Ankara agrees that there were certainly Armenian casualties during
World War I, but says that it is impossible to define these incidents
as “genocide.”

In 2014, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an expressed his condolences for
the first time to all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the
events of 1915.

“May Armenians who lost their lives in the events in the early
twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to
their grandchildren,” ErdoÄ?an said.