Author: Badalian Vardan

Yerevan Bestseller encourages love towards reading

16:57, 21 February, 2015

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan Bestseller exclusive
project introduced by “Armenpress” News Agency encourages love towards
reading. The Director of “Armenpress” News Agency Aram Ananyan stated
this at the end of the award giving ceremony held at the press centre
of “Armenpress” on the symbolic day of the Armenian Language, which is
marked on February 21.

“The idea of launching the project came, when Yerevan was declared the
World Book Capital. We developed the methodology of the project, so
that we could have the standards, due to which we make selection and
after we began the relevant activities. Then the number of bookstores
was expanded and the interest towards the project increased. This is
the second time that on February 21 we hold the ceremony of
appreciation of the books and authors, which occupied their unique
place at the literary process of the previous year,” Ananyan
underscored.

The Director of “Armenpress” News Agency found it difficult to give an
unequivocal answer to the question whether the project managed to
dictate taste or not.

Among other things, Aram Ananyan noted: “I guess the publishers and
those directly involved in selling books can answer that question, as
they can clearly see that shift. Notwithstanding, in my opinion, we
managed to introduce some trends in the literary process.” Ananyan in
convinced that reading must be a significant characteristic of the
Armenian people, if it is not so yet.

“Such projects are held all over the world and people calculate the
most demanded books. It was necessary to have such a project in
Armenia as well. It gave impetus to love towards reading,” Aram
Ananyan concluded. In addition, Ananyan noted that the national news
agency next year will also award those media, which will touch upon
the topics of book and literature and encourage publishing.

AdnKronos- Italia
19 feb 2015

Siria, l’arcivescovo armeno-cattolico di Aleppo: “La vita va avanti,
anche se le condizioni sono drammatiche

Articolo pubblicato il: 19/02/2015

Ad Aleppo “la vita va avanti, nonostante le circostanze drammatiche”.
E’ questa la testimonianza dell’arcivescovo di Aleppo per gli
armeno-cattolici, Boutros Marayati, che in un’intervista ad
Aki-Adnkronos International racconta la vita quotidiana nella città
assediata e devastata da quasi quattro anni di guerra.

“Le condizioni sono drammatiche, la città è sotto assedio, solo un
terzo è sotto il controllo dello Stato”, spiega monsignor Marayati,
che si trova a Roma per partecipare a un convegno organizzato dalla
Comunità di Sant’Egidio. “Mancano l’acqua e l’elettricità, che ci
arrivano un’ora al giorno, o a volte non arrivano proprio”.

Anche i combustibili mancano, e questo comporta “molta sofferenza ora
che è inverno, soprattutto per i bambini”, aggiunge il prelato,
sottolineando che “la gente ha molta paura” e questo è il primo
movente a spingere la popolazione ad emigrare. “Circa la metà della
diocesi è emigrata e il fenomeno è aumentato dopo la caduta di un
razzo sulla sede del vescovado alcuni mesi fa”, ricorda.

Vi è poi la crisi in Iraq e la situazione a Mosul, occupata dallo
scorso giugno dalle milizie dello Stato islamico, che fanno temere ai
cristiani di Aleppo di finire sotto lo stesso giogo. “A tutto questo
si aggiunge la mancanza di medicinali”, sottolinea Marayati, il quale
esprime la speranza che si raggiunga “un cessate il fuoco o un
congelamento dei combattimenti ad Aleppo”.

Il governo di Damasco ha accettato la richiesta dell’inviato speciale
dell’Onu in Siria, Staffan De Mistura, di congelare le ostilità ad
Aleppo, ma l’arcivescovo mette in evidenza che “tra il dire e il fare
c’è molta strada da percorrere”. Attualmente la città è divisa “in due
parti: la prima, pari a due terzi, è nelle mani dell’opposizione che
oggi si è trasformata in movimento jihadista, e l’altra è controllata
dal regime”, ma entrambe subiscono bombardamenti.

Haykakan Zhamanak: Names of intriguers within BHK revealed

An agreement was reached between leader of Armenian National Congress
(HAK) Levon Ter-Petrosyan and leader of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK)
Gagik Tsarukyan that after the change of power in Armenia, Tsarukyan
will become president, while Ter-Petrosyan will serve as speaker of
the National Assembly, `Haykakan Zhamanak’ daily writes citing
sources.

`It became known yesterday whom Ter-Petrosyan meant when speaking
about a small group of intrigues within BHK. According to our sources,
among the group members are MPs Vahe Hovhannisyan and Stepan
Margaryan, editor of the website `7or’ Andranik Tevanyan and editor of
the website `Zham’ Yervand Bozoyan’, the paper says.

21.02.15, 10:31

Secolo Trentino- Italia
15 feb 2015

ARMENI: IL GENOCIDIO NEGATO

Di Luca Dalle Mese il 15 febbraio 2015 –

Ad inaugurare la nuova “età buia” dopo il medioevo fu il genocidio
degli Armeni, il primo tra i massacri compiuti nel ‘900, accomunati
tutti dagli stessi fini e quasi totalmente dissociati dai motivi che
causarono lo scoppio delle due guerre. Proprio per questa mancanza di
un collegamento diretto tra le guerre e gli stermini il ‘900 può
essere considerato un periodo buio, come fu il Medioevo, anche se i
motivi che spingono a questa etichettatura sono molto diversi. Se da
una parte il Medioevo è stato un secolo di numerosissime guerre,
epidemie, crisi economiche, e arresto del progresso tecnologico, il
‘900 ha subito una profonda crisi dei valori etici dell’Uomo. Il fine
comune a tutti i genocidi del Novecento infatti è la volontà di
sterminare un’etnia, in maniera metodica e senza eccezioni:
un’eliminazione storica, politica, culturale.

Nello specifico caso armeno, questo popolo fu eliminato dalla Turchia
tra il 1915 ed il 1923, comportando la morte di un milione e mezzo di
persone. Inizialmente gli uomini armeni venivano costretti
all’addestramento militare, poi arruolati coattamente nell’esercito.
Successivamente toccò alla popolazione civile, che subì un violento
massacro. I superstiti venivano espropriati di tutto e condotti nel
deserto per una lunga marcia, dalla quale nessuno tornava. I
pochissimi fortunati a scampare alla morte furono dei bambini, educati
dal partito secondo i canoni islamici.

A fomentare le persecuzioni fu il partito dei Giovani Turchi, mosso da
estremizzati ideali di nazionalismo; essi volevano riformare la
nazione turca con criteri di omogeneità etnica e religiosa. La nazione
armena, oltre a non essere di fatto turca, e quindi colpevole anche
solo per questo motivo, era anche cristiana: questo significa che era
una pericolosa finestra aperta sull’occidente, il quale poteva
contaminare il progetto dei Giovani Turchi.

Ad oggi la Turchia non ha ancora ammesso alcun genocidio; le
informazioni in nostro possesso derivano soprattutto, come in molti
altri casi di genocidio, da alcuni Giusti, tra i quali l’Italiano
Giacomo Gorrini.

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide AyÃ…?e Berktay

By MassisPost
Updated: February 20, 2015

By Hambersom Aghbashian

AyÃ…?e Berktay is a translator, scholar, author, cultural and women’s
rights activist. Her publications include `History and Society: New
Perspectives, 2008³, and `The Ottoman Empire and the World Around with
Suraiya Faroqhi’; moreover, she is the editor of `Women and Men in the
75th Year of the Turkish Republic’. Her translations include `The
Imperial Harm: Gender and Power in the Ottoman Empire, 1520-1656³ by
Leslie Penn Pierce; and `The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922 ,New Approaches
to European History’ by Donald Quataert.

Over the past decade, AyÃ…?e conducted work at the History Trust, where
she was part of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Board on Human Rights.
In Dec. 2009 AyÃ…?e became a member of the pro-Kurdish Peace and
Democracy Party (BDP), which has 36 elected representatives in the
Turkish Parliament. In March 2010 she was elected to the BDP Istanbul
Province Executive, where she worked in the Press Committee, then in
Oct. 2010 she was elected to the BDP Central Women’s Committee,
Foreign Relations Office. AyÃ…?e Berktay was arrested on October 3,
2011, and seized personal papers and materials. Eventually, she was
charged under Turkey’s anti-terror legislation of `membership in an
illegal organization’. She was released from Prison in Istanbul on
Dec. 20, 2013 and still faces a lengthy trial process, where she could
face up to 15 years in prison. (1)

In December 2008, two hundred prominent Turkish intellectuals released
an apology for the `great catastrophe of 1915³. This was a clear
reference to the Armenian Genocide, a term still too sensitive to use
so openly. The signatories also announced a website related to this
apology, and called on others to visit the site and sign the apology
as well. The complete, brief text of the apology says `My conscience
does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the
Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in
1915. I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the
feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers and sisters. I apologize to
them.’ AyÃ…?e Berktay was one of the Turkish intellectual who has signed
the petition. (2)

AyÃ…?e Berktay was one of the Turkish intellectuals who signed a
petition against Denialist Exhibit in Denmark, an exhibition which was
planned by the Turkish embassy to support their point of view
concerning the Armenian Genocide .’ Don’t Stand Against Turkey’s
Democratization and Confrontation with its History!’ was the message
to the Royal Library of Denmark who has given the Turkish government
the opportunity to present an `alternative exhibit’ in response to the
Armenian Genocide exhibition.(3)

In the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the members of the
24 April Commemorating Armenian Genocide Platform came together in
front of the historical HaydarpaÃ…?a Railhead to commemorate the
Armenian intellectuals who were put in trains from HaydarpaÃ…?a Railhead
in 1915 and sent to death. The citizens left red carnations on the
placards writing in both English and Armenian reading `We are
remembering the victims of Armenian genocide’ and they carried the
photos of Armenian intellectuals. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
Central Executive Board (MYK) member Garo Paylan, Author AyÃ…?e Berktay,
Academiscian Fatmagül Berktay, Human Rights Association (Ä°HD) Ä°stanbul
Branch Head Ã`mit Efe, Ä°HD executives, Armenians coming from Diaspora;
and lots of citizens joined in the commemoration activity.(4)
””””””’
1-
2-
3-
4-

Automobile rally organized in Strasbourg in support of Founding Parliament

20:58 | February 20,2015 | Politics

On February 20, a group of young people organized an automobile rally
and a collection of signatures in Strasbourg, France.

They condemned the January 31 terrorism against the members of the
Founding Parliament members in Berdzor, Karabakh and expressed support
for the Founding Parliament’s initiative held under the slogan `100th
anniversary without regime!’

On January 31, scores of activists representing the Founding
Parliament opposition movement, a successor of the Pre-parliament
pressure group, organized an automobile march to Nagorno-Karabakh as
part of their campaign seeking a regime change in Armenia. Near
Berdzor, they were stopped by local police and a group of plainclothes
men who forcefully blocked their access to the territory of Karabakh.
A number of activists, including Jirayr Sefilyan, a Karabakh war
veteran and a former commander of the Shushi special detachment, were
beaten up during the incident. Also, some vehicles of the automobile
march were damaged.

Turkey Denies Report on Cancellation of Gallipoli Commemoration Events

By Weekly Staff on February 22, 2015

Sources close to the Turkish government have denied Sunday’s Zaman’s
report claiming the Gallipoli commemoration events have been canceled,
according to Daily Sabah. “Sources from both the Presidency and Prime
Ministry have refuted the claims that the commemorations have been
canceled, refraining from offering further details over how many and
which countries will participate in the Gallipoli centennial
commemoration,” reported Sabah, which highlighted Zaman’s link to the
Gulen Movement.

On Feb. 21, Sunday’s Zaman reported that the commemoration ceremonies
marking the centennial of the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I were
canceled. The paper said the reason for cancellation was the low
number of heads of states who agreed to attend Ankara for the
ceremonies that were scheduled to take place on April 24–Armenian
Genocide commemoration day.

The paper quoted a government official, who wished to remain
anonymous, as saying, “The Gallipoli celebrations have been canceled.
All preparations have been suspended as the number of RSVPs to the
invitation is not positive. Only five countries have accepted the
invitation and they will not be represented by high-level officials.”

Leading up to the Gallipoli commemorations, Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan had sent official invitations to more than 100 world
leaders, including Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, to partake in
the ceremonies. The date designated for these commemoration
events–April 24–created uproar among Armenians worldwide, while
Turkish human rights groups urged world leaders to boycott the
Gallipoli events.

On Jan. 16, Sarkisian responded to Erdogan’s invitation to Turkey on
April 24, in a strongly worded letter. “Turkey continues its
conventional denial policy and is perfecting its instrumentation for
distorting history. This time, Turkey is marking the 100th anniversary
of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, even though the battle began
on March 18, 1915 and lasted until late January 1916, while the
Allies’ operation started on April 25,” he wrote, adding, “What is the
purpose [of this] if not to distract the world’s attention from the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?”

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Feb 22 2015

US congressmen to introduce Armenian genocide bill this week

RAGIP SOYLU

Four members of Congress in the U.S. last week invited their
colleagues to become an original co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Recognition Resolution, which accuses the Ottoman Empire of committing
genocide in 1915 and asking President Barack Obama to pressure the
Turkish government to resolve the issue.

A letter addressed to U.S. congressmen, penned by Robert J. Dold
(Republican from Illinois), David Valado (Republican from California),
Adam B. Schiff (Democrate from California) and Frank Pallone (Democrat
from New Jersey), claims that the Ottoman Empire killed 1.5 million
Armenians between April 24, 1915 and 1923. “Forty-two U.S. states have
recognized the Armenian Genocide, as have 11 of our NATO allies. On
this special year, it is time for the United States government to
officially join with those voices standing against this genocide
denial. We can help bring closure to this longstanding moral issue
that continues to impact U.S. interests,” the letter read.

Representatives declared that they would be introducing the resolution
next Tuesday, Feb. 24 and the same language as in House Resolution 227
from the 113th Congress would be used.

House Resolution 227, which last year became obsolete, urged President
Obama to work toward durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon
Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of
the “Armenian Genocide.”

The draft resolution also cites President Obama’s statements before
entering office, saying he held the conviction that the Armenian
genocide is not an allegation but rather a widely documented fact
supported by historical evidence.

Parts of the Turkish-American community was quick to show their
grievances about the initiative.

Ali Çınar, a Turkish-American community leader and also the president
of the Washington-based think tank Global Policy Institute, invited
his followers to pressure congressmen by calling the offices of
representatives and emailing them to make them stop pursuing the
official recognition of genocide.

KARABAKH RULES OUT RELEASE OF JAILED AZERBAIJANI NATIONALS

Big News Network, Australia
Feb 19 2015

RFE Thursday 19th February, 2015

Authorities in Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh have
refused to consider the release of two Azerbaijani nationals who were
convicted and jailed last year on charges of committing a number of
crimes, including murder.

Azerbaijan does not recognize the legality of the trial in which its
citizens, Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Quliyev, were sentenced to life
and 22 years in prison, respectively.

Askerov, 54, and Quliyev, 46, are charged with murder, espionage,
illegal border crossing, and illegal weapons possession.

Authorities in the self-proclaimed government of Nagorno-Karabakh
say they crossed into the breakaway region on July 12 and killed an
officer of its military.

Azerbaijani officials say the self-proclaimed government, which is
not recognized by any nation, has no legal right to try the men.

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan’s
breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for years.

Armenian-backed separatists seized the mainly Armenian-populated
region from Azerbaijan during a war in the early 1990s that killed
some 30,000 people and displaced many more.

Diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict have brought little progress.

110 ANOS DEL POGROMO Y LA RESISTENCIA ARMENIA EN BAKÚ

Diario Armenia- Argentina
4 de feb. de 2015

En el segundo mes del año del Centenario adquiere mucha importancia
compartir los antecedentes del Primer Genocidio del Siglo XX, para
repasar las lecciones de una historia plena de ejemplos heroicos y
enseñanzas para dentro y fuera de la comunidad.

Lo ocurrido hace 110 años en Bakú -que han sido denominados como
“enfrentamientos” armenio-tartaros- son paginas de una historia que
parecen cronicas de la actualidad. Diarios, semanarios y revistas de
todo el mundo publicaron con fotos y detalles primero las noticias,
luego los comentarios y finalmente varios libros al respecto.

Es conocida la importancia de Bakú, a comienzos del siglo XX como
centro del incipiente capitalismo petrolero, el rol del zarismo
generando discordias para imperar sobre las naciones y etnias
del Caucaso y las acciones revolucionarias que buscaban formas de
convivencia y justicia social entre el trabajo y el capital. Allí
acudieron los gerentes de Rockefeller, los altos empleados de los
emires tartaros, los bancos e inversores ingleses, la nobleza georgiana
que habían impuesto a su Tbilisi como la capital del Virreinato,
gracias a su incorporacion a la corte imperial rusa ahí tambien surgio
el panturquismo.

En la escala piramidal de la capacidad de influir y hacer pesar sus
intereses, a pesar de ser una nacion originaria y de las iniciativas
de su burguesía, los armenios no ocupaban aún un lugar respetable.

Como ocurría con otras minorías del imperio ruso, y en otros imperios,
las acciones criminales de los estados eran otra forma de concretar
los negocios de los grupos dominantes.

En ese cuadro de situacion, el virrey georgiano resolvio
azuzar el fanatismo de los musulmanes contra los armenios. Las
primeras agresiones se iniciaron a principios de febrero de 1905,
hace justamente 110 años. Un testigo presencial, el periodista
centroamericano E. Gomez Carrillo, recopilo sus cronicas en el libro
“La Rusia Actual” publicado en París en 1906. En unos parrafos,
resumimos los hechos.

“Poco a poco una siniestra claridad va iluminando las matanzas de
Bakú…La version mas autorizada, nos dice que las matanzas comenzaron
el 19 de febrero (viejo calendario ortodoxo) y que duraron cuatro
días consecutivos… Antes de esa fecha el gobernador llamo a las
notabilidades turcas y les aconsejo… contra los armenios. Al mismo
tiempo se armo a la poblacion tartara de Bakú… Solo unos cientos
de obreros de la Federacion Revolucionaria Armenia, lograron, a pesar
de los cosacos, con su bravura, rechazar a los musulmanes de algunos
barrios armenios… El comite armenio de París publica documentos
interesantísimos… Lo primero que se ve, es la complicidad de la
policía, lo mismo que en los asesinatos de judíos”.

El contenido completo de estos textos, y muchos valiosos testimonios
seran publicados proximamente por ARMENIA. Seguimos trabajando por
la verdad, la memoria y la justicia.

Carlos Luis Hassassian