Turkish Nationalists Threaten Agos Newspaper, Place Black Wreath In

TURKISH NATIONALISTS THREATEN AGOS NEWSPAPER, PLACE BLACK WREATH IN FRONT OF AGOS

19:07 | April 24,2015 | Politics

This morning, on April 24, at 7.15 am, MTP (the Nationalist Turkey
Party) and Turan Ocakları (the Turan Hearths) came and laid a black
wreath in front of the new building of Agos, ermenihaber.am reports.

Two people representing MTP and Turan Ocakları made a statement
in front of the building. The Istanbul branch of Turan Ocakları
published a video of the statement on its Facebook page with the title
‘One unexpected night we will turn up at Agos Newspaper.’

From: Baghdasarian

http://en.a1plus.am/1210381.html

Germany’s Genocide Resolution Tantamount To Recognition By US – Poli

GERMANY’S GENOCIDE RESOLUTION TANTAMOUNT TO RECOGNITION BY US – POLITICIAN

22:07 * 24.04.15

The German lawmakers’ decision to condemn the Armenian Genocide has
exactly the same effect as would have its recognition by the United
States, according to an Armenian politician.

Speaking to Tert.am, David Shahnazaryan, a senior analyst at the
Regional Studies Center, shared his comments on the resolution adopted
today, as well as the US president’s failure to use “genocide” in
his annual address to the Armenians.

“The [German legislators decision] is of no less importance than a
recognition by the United States. What happened in the US was what
should have practically happened. The relations between Turkey and
the US are on a very low level today, with the tension being extremely
high. So obviously, Obama was not expected to characterize the events
as genocide, i.e. – to use the proper wording, because Washington would
thus entirely lose its few if any leverages against Turkey,” he noted.

Shahnazaryan said further that he wouldn’t expect such a scenario
to offer any security advantages to Armenia. “I think, nonetheless,
that Obama could not but have spoken the way he did, considering
those very security interests and simultaneously pointing to the
existing asymmetry – by not sending a delegation to Turkey [to join
the Gallipoli Campaign celebrations] and demonstrating this asymmetric
attitude of his towards the two countries,” he added.

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/04/24/davidshahnazarian/1656894

Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemorative Event Held In Neighborhoo

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE EVENT HELD IN NEIGHBORHOOD OF ST. SARKIS CHURCH, TEHRAN

12:26 24/04/2015 >> SOCIETY

Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemorative event was held in the
neighborhood of St. Sarkis Church, Tehran, Iranian information agency
ISNA reports.

According to the report, Armenian community representatives, Armenian
and Assyrian members of the IRI Majlis and ambassadors accredited in
Tehran were present at the event.

The bells of St. Sarkis cathedral in Tehran tolled 100 times, like
in the other Armenian churches all over the world.

According to ISNA, today the Iranian Armenian community is going to
hold a protest in front of the Embassy of Turkey in Iran.

Related:

Iran’s position regarding recognition of Armenian Genocide

Iranian outlet: Ottoman Turks slaughtered also Iranian Azaris apart
from Armenians

Iranian Turkic-speaking Azaris condemn Turkish government for not
recognizing Armenian Genocide

Assyrian member of Iran Majlis: We are grateful to Armenia for speaking
about Assyrian Genocide

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.panorama.am/en/society/2015/04/24/iran/

Maria Guleghina: Turkey Must Acknowledge Armenian Genocide

MARIA GULEGHINA: TURKEY MUST ACKNOWLEDGE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

22:38, 23.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

Turkey must acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, the opera singer Maria
Guleghina, who is considered as the best dramatic soprano in the world,
told Armenian News – NEWS.am at Zvatnots airport.

Referring to the question on what she feels on Armenian land, the
singer said: “Emotions brim me, since we mark such a mournful day –
the 100th anniversary. I think this date must become a kind of crucial
moment so that people merely understand, accept, realize and start
living in a new way afterwards. Since basically we all need only peace,
we only need to grow children, while the spite and hatred kill.”

According to the singer, at different times of history some nations
fought between themselves and were at enmity, and that was horrible.

“What happened 100 years ago is terrible. But for the sake of our
children’s future, for the sake of future in general we need to merely
live and remember those who died,” Maria Guleghina said.

From: Baghdasarian

http://news.am/eng/news/263636.html

Catholicos Aram I Arrives In Yerevan To Participate In Canonizing 1.

CATHOLICOS ARAM I ARRIVES IN YEREVAN TO PARTICIPATE IN CANONIZING 1.5 MILLION ARMENIANS MASSACRED IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE

YEREVAN, April 23. / ARKA /. Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia
Aram I has arrived in Yerevan by a special flight to participate in
a service canonizing up to 1.5 million Armenians massacred in the
Ottoman Empire.

The service will be held Thursday evening in Armenia’s main church,
Etchmiadzin, a 4th-century building believed to be the Christian
world’s oldest cathedral. After the ceremony to be led by Catholicos
of All Armenians, Karekin II, bells will chime in Armenian churches
across the world and a minute of silence will be observed.

In canonizing the genocide victims, “the Church only recognizes what
happened: that is, the genocide”, Karekin II said ahead of the event.

Catholicos Aram I has brought to Armenia remains of the victims
of genocide, which were kept in the chapel of the Holy Martyrs in
the Great House of Cilicia in Lebanon. Aram I is accompanied by a
delegation of bishops and archimandrites.

On Wednesday Turkey recalled its ambassador to Vienna in protest
against the Austrian parliament’s decision to call the massacre
“genocide.” Earlier this month Ankara recalled its envoy to Vatican
after Pope Francis described the killings as “the first genocide of
the 20th century.”

More than 20 nations – including France and Russia – have so far
recognized the Armenian genocide, a definition supported by numerous
historians.

On April 24 hundreds of thousands will join a procession in the
capital Yerevan to remember the victims.

Commemorations will be held also In Paris, Los Angeles and hundreds
of other cities across the globe.

Russian Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande are among
a handful of world leaders to travel to Armenia for the commemorations.

The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia is a
hierarchal see of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Since 1930, the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia has been headquartered
in Antelias, Lebanon.

His Holiness Aram I has served as Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian
Apostolic Church since 1995.-0-

From: Baghdasarian

http://arka.am/en/news/politics/catholicos_aram_i_arrives_in_yerevan_to_participate_in_canonizing_1_5_million_armenians_massacred_in/#sthash.k9FdLplB.dpuf

Operation Nemesis : Une Affiche Interactive Sur Arte

OPERATION NEMESIS : UNE AFFICHE INTERACTIVE SUR ARTE

Revue de presse

À l’occasion du centenaire du genocide armenien, decouvrez une affiche
interactive et sonore qui permet d’explorer l’histoire de l’Operation
Nemesis : un des commandos militaire les plus extraordinaires du
20ème siècle. Ce dispositif interactif accompagne la diffusion du
documentaire La vengeance des Armeniens – Le procès Tehlirian, ecrit
par Laurence Chassin et Bernard George.

A la fin de la Première Guerre mondiale, un reseau clandestin de
justiciers armeniens, se met en place sur trois continents. Son but :
rendre justice a plus d’un million de morts. Son arme : quelques jeunes
militants armeniens. Sa cible : les pachas et hauts dignitaires turcs
qui tenaient les renes du pouvoir et qui ont orchestre ce qui est connu
– a defaut d’etre reconnu – comme le premier genocide du 20ème siècle.

A decouvrir sur Arte.fr

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=110778

Erevan Salue La Reconnaissance Du Genocide Armenien Par Le Parlement

EREVAN SALUE LA RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN PAR LE PARLEMENT AUTRICHIEN

Turquie-Armenie-genocide-anniversaire-Autriche

Vienne, 22 avr 2015 (AFP) – Le Parlement autrichien a observe mercredi
une minute de silence en memoire du genocide armenien, une première
dans ce pays autrefois allie a l’empire ottoman et où ce terme n’a
jamais ete endosse officiellement.

“Le 24 avril 1915 a marque le debut de persecutions qui se sont
achevees en genocide”, a declare la presidente sociale-democrate (SPO)
du Parlement, Doris Bures, avant d’inviter l’ensemble des deputes a
se lever et a se recueillir.

Cette ceremonie fait suite a la redaction, par les six groupes
representes au Parlement, d’une declaration commune reconnaissant
le genocide.

“Au nom de la responsabilite historique, la monarchie austro-hongroise
ayant ete l’alliee de de l’empire ottoman durant la Première guerre
mondiale, il est de notre devoir de qualifier ces terribles evenements
de genocide, et de les condamner comme tel”, souligne ce texte,
presente a la presse mercredi.

“Il est egalement du devoir de la Turquie d’affronter de facon
honnete les chapitres douloureux de son histoire et de reconnaître
comme genocide les crimes commis contre les Armeniens sous l’empire
ottoman”, est-il ajoute.

Cette declaration, signee par les chefs des six groupes parlementaires
— les partis social-democrate (SPO) et chretien-democrate (OVP)
au pouvoir ainsi que le FPO (extreme-droite), les Verts et deux
petits partis liberaux — n’a toutefois pas ete soumise au vote et
n’a donc pas de valeur juridique. Elle marque cependant un premier
pas symbolique dans la reconnaissance du genocide par l’Autriche.

L’Armenie, où s’est ouverte mercredi une conference internationale
sur la lutte contre le genocide, a salue cette declaration.

“L’Autriche a ainsi apporte une contribution importante dans une
noble cause visant a empecher les genocides et les crimes contre
l’humanite”, a declare le ministre des Affaires etrangères armenien,
Edouard Nalbandian, dans un communique.

Debut avril, le Conseil oecumenique des Eglises chretiennes d’Autriche
(ORKO) avait deja solennellement appele la presidence de la Republique
et le gouvernement a reconnaître le genocide armenien, “a l’instar
de beaucoup d’autres pays”.

Mais le president Heinz Fischer a decline l’invitation de l’Armenie
a participer aux ceremonies du centenaire a Erevan vendredi,
auxquelles prendront part notamment les presidents russe et francais
Vladimir Poutine et Francois Hollande. Le pays sera represente par
un ambassadeur.

L’Autriche-Hongrie, comme l’Allemagne, avait ete l’alliee de l’empire
ottoman durant le Premier conflit mondial. La communaute turque
represente la deuxième communaute d’origine etrangère du pays, avec
quelque 240.000 personnes.

Lundi, le chef du FPO, Heinz-Christian Strache, avait accuse les
partis au pouvoir de “s’agenouiller devant la Turquie” de peur de
froisser leur electorat d’origine turque.

Une vingtaine de pays, dont la France et la Russie, ont reconnu le
genocide armenien, qui selon Erevan a coûte la vie a quelque 1,5
million de personnes entre 1915 et 1917.

Ankara, comme plusieurs autres pays dont les Etats-Unis, rejette
toujours le terme de genocide pour qualifier ces massacres qui avaient
debute il y a cent ans, le 24 avril 1915.

En Autriche, une messe oecumenique commemorative doit etre celebree
en la cathedrale Saint-Etienne de Vienne vendredi. Une marche est
en outre prevue dans la soiree, a l’appel notamment d’organisations
armeniennes et turques liberales.

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=110752

Rep. Adam Schiff Reads Names Of 1,000 Armenian Genocide Victims On H

REP. ADAM SCHIFF READS NAMES OF 1,000 ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS ON HOUSE FLOOR – VIDEO

10:45, 23 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), for an entire hour on the
House Floor, read the names of a small fraction of the 1.5 million
people killed during the Armenian Genocide after business concluded
in the House for the day, Asbarez reports.

During the hour, Schiff read 1,000 names of constituents’ relatives
and those of the Armenian-American community that were submitted over
the past two weeks to the office through social media and email.

Schiff’s reading of the names comes the day after the White House
confirmed to Armenian-American community leaders that the President
would not use the word genocide when he issues a statement Friday on
the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“In a single hour, I was only able to read the names of a mere fraction
of those who were killed in the Armenian Genocide,” said Schiff. “To
read all of the names of the more than 1.5 million people murdered
at the time, would take many weeks, and I hope that the recitation of
the victims will help call attention to the magnitude of the crime. A
name, unlike a number, is no abstraction – each was a son or daughter,
a mother or father, a grandparent, an aunt or an uncle; each was a
precious life.”

In past years, Schiff has taken to the House floor in April to
recognize the Genocide. Two years ago, he spoke on the House Floor
in Armenian to recognize and pay tribute to those lost – the first
time that language had been spoken in the well of Congress. And
last year, he delivered an open letter to the Turkish people urging
them to examine their ancestor’s role in the first genocide of the
20th century.

This past month, Schiff joined over 40 congressional colleagues to
introduce the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution. This
bipartisan resolution calls upon the President to work toward
equitable, constructive, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based
upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgement of the facts and
ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution will
also establish a fair, just, and comprehensive international record
of this crime against humanity.

This year, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
– a systematic and deliberate annihilation campaign launched by the
government of the Ottoman Empire against its Armenian population which
left 1.5 million Armenians dead and millions more displaced. While
the Armenian Genocide has been recognized by more than twenty nations
including Canada, Italy, Sweden, France, Argentina and Russia, as well
as the European Parliament, it has not been formally recognized by
the U.S. Congress in decades and has not been recognized by President
Barack Obama.

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/23/rep-adam-schiff-reads-names-of-1000-armenian-genocide-victims-on-house-floor/

Le Parlement Europeen A Adopte Une Resolution A L’occasion Du Centen

LE PARLEMENT EUROPEEN A ADOPTE UNE RESOLUTION A L’OCCASION DU CENTENAIRE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

ARMENIE

La > de l’ensemble des quotidiens est consacree a l’adoption
par le Parlement europeen d’une resolution relative au centième
anniversaire du Genocide armenien, qui a ete votee a une très large
majorite. Le Parlement europeen, qui a reconnu le Genocide armenien
en 1987, appelle l’Armenie et la Turquie a >, en ratifiant et en
mettant en oeuvre, sans conditions prealables, les protocoles sur
l’etablissement de relations diplomatiques entre les deux pays,
en ouvrant la frontière, et en ameliorant de manière active leurs
relations, notamment en ce qui concerne la cooperation economique. Les
deputes europeens soulignent la necessite pour la Turquie de
reconnaître le Genocide armenien afin de poser les jalons d’une
veritable reconciliation et saluent la declaration du pape Francois,
le 12 avril dernier, commemorant le centenaire du Genocide. Ils se
felicitent en outre des declarations du President turc en 2014 qui a
adresse ses condoleances aux Armeniens. Les parlementaires encouragent
la Turquie a saisir l’occasion offerte par la commemoration du
centenaire du Genocide armenien pour ouvrir ses archives, poursuivre
ses efforts de confrontation avec son passe, reconnaître le genocide
et poser ainsi les jalons d’une veritable reconciliation entre les
deux peuples. Par ailleurs, ils invitent la Turquie a effectuer > un inventaire du patrimoine culturel armenien
detruit ou endommage au cours du siècle dernier sur son territoire
et proposent finalement d’instaurer une >.

L’Armenie a salue, par la voix du Ministre des AE, Edward Nalbandian,
l’adoption de cette resolution, se felicitant de ce que le Parlement
europeen rappelle que, dans sa resolution du 18 juin 1987, il
reconnaissait que les actes tragiques perpetres entre 1915 et
1917 contre les Armeniens sur le territoire de l’Empire ottoman
constituaient un genocide au sens de la convention pour la prevention
et la repression du crime de genocide de 1948 et deplore vivement
toute tentative de denegation de ces actes. Selon le Ministre,
en rendant hommage a la memoire de 1,5 millions d’Armeniens, le
Parlement europeen, qui represente 28 pays europeens, se joint a la
commemoration du centième anniversaire du Genocide armenien. M.

Nalbandian estime que la resolution contient un message important
a l’attention de la Turquie, en invitant celle-ci a utiliser la
commemoration du centenaire du Genocide pour se reconcilier avec son
passe. >, a conclu le Ministre. Aux
yeux du porte-parole du parti Republicain, Edouard Charmazanov, la
resolution du Parlement europeen est un > a
la politique de deni d’Ankara. Il rappelle que c’est deja la septième
resolution adoptee par des instances europeennes relative au Genocide
armenien, ce qui signifie que le processus de sa reconnaissance
internationale semble etre entre dans une nouvelle phase.

Le pro-gouvernemental Hayots Achkhar qualifie egalement de > a Ankara la resolution du Parlement
europeen, mais aussi les discours des parlementaires, dont aucun ne
remettait en question la realite du Genocide armenien. Sont retenus
par la presse armenienne les discours de plusieurs parlementaires
ayant condamne les autorites turques, en l’occurrence le President
Erdogan, pour avoir lance des affronts personnels contre le pape
Francois pour sa prise de position sur la question du Genocide
armenien. L’un des parlementaires italiens est alle jusqu’a qualifier
les propos du President turc de >. >. Le quotidien appelle Erevan
a tirer profit sur le plan politique de ce > au lieu de se
borner a une reaction emotionnelle.

Aux yeux de Hraparak, Ankara paye pour la non-ratification des
protocoles de Zurich et pour avoir cede aux > d’Ilham
Aliev. Joghovourd remarque pour sa part que plus le negationnisme
d’Erdogan devient acharne, plus la reaction de la communaute
internationale s’avère enfin appropriee.

Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun et Haykakan Jamanak relèvent que, de peur
que le President Obama puisse repeter l’expression utilisee par le
pape Francois dans son message annuel du 24 avril, Ankara a decide
de depecher son Ministre des Affaires etrangères a Washington afin
de prevenir l’usage du mot > par le President americain.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 16 avril 2015

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=110386

Armenian Genocide: What Happened, How Many People Died And Why Is It

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: WHAT HAPPENED, HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED AND WHY IS IT STILL CAUSING DEBATE?

09:00 * 23.04.15

By Lizzie Dearden

As the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on 24 April
approaches, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people continues
to stoke international tensions.

Mass killings at the hands of Ottoman Empire soldiers during the First
World War are not disputed but historians continue to argue about
whether the atrocities constituted a systematic effort to destroy
ethnic Armenians.

What happened?

The Ottoman Empire, based in modern-day Turkey, was fighting the Allies
as part of the Quadruple Alliance in the Middle Eastern theatre of
the First World War.

Enver Pasha, the Minister of War, had publicly blamed military defeats
on Armenians siding with the Russians and propaganda portrayed them
as a “fifth column” working against the state.

On the orders of the government in 1915, Armenian soldiers in the
Ottoman army were demobilised and transferred to “labour battalions”,
where some were executed or died.

As the Russian Caucasus army marched into Anatolia, Ottoman authorities
started deporting ethnic Armenians from the region, deeming them a
threat to national security.

The slaughter, starvation and death that ensued claimed between
300,000 and 1.5 million Armenian lives, according to vastly differing
estimates.

How did they die?

Contemporary reports listed numerous atrocities committed by Ottoman
Turks, including massacres by shooting, stabbing, hanging, burning,
drowning and alleged drug overdoses.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in forced marches into the
Syrian desert where they starved and died of thirst or disease.

Many of those who survived the journey were put into a network of 25
camps, where mass graves have subsequently been found.

The rape and sexual enslavement of Armenian women was also reported
to be rife and even actively encouraged by some military commanders.

What is disputed?

Many modern-day arguments about the killings focus on the term
“genocide”, with Turkey refusing to use it, claiming that the deaths
were not systematic and the term was coined after the Second World
War and could not be retrospectively applied.

The UN Convention on Genocide describes it as carrying out acts
intended “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial
or religious group” and Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term in 1943,
cited atrocities against the Armenians as well as the Nazi Holocaust
in his investigations.

Turkey has portrayed the killings as part of the chaos of war and
claims there was no organised attempt to destroy Christian Armenians,
although other states have argued that the deaths were caused by
policies orchestrated by the Young Turks government.

According to the International Association of Genocide Scholars,
evidence shows that the “government of the Ottoman Empire began a
systematic genocide of its Armenian citizens and unarmed Christian
minority population.”

“More than a million Armenians were exterminated through direct
killing, starvation, torture, and forced death marches,” the group
said.

Who recognises the deaths as genocide?

The governments of 24 countries, including France, Italy, Russia and
Canada recognise the events as “genocide”.

The British government does not, although the regional parliaments
and assemblies of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland do so.

Germany is set to use the term on 24 April, despite an intervention
by the Turkish Prime Minister, and Austria did so this week.

Pope Francis called the massacres a genocide earlier this month,
prompting Turkey to summon the Vatican’s envoy and recall its own.

Countries including the US and Israel who have not previously used the
term are facing calls to adopt it as the 100th anniversary approaches.

Why is it marked on 24 April?

Although the deaths continued through the First World War, 24 April
1915 was selected as the starting date of the genocide.

It was the day when the Ottoman government arrested around 250
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople,
who were later executed

Was anyone punished?

Several senior Ottoman officials were put on trial in Turkey in 1919
in connection with the atrocities but the Young Turks’ leading trio
had already fled abroad and were sentenced to death in absentia.

Historians have since questioned the judicial process at the time,
when Turkish authorities are accused of attempting to appease the
victorious Allies.

From: Baghdasarian

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/armenian-genocide-what-happened-how-many-people-died-and-why-is-it-still-causing-debate-10196281.html