Author: Ekmekjian Janet

ABHaber, EU-Turkey News Network, Belgium
Jan 17 2009

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner to visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy,
Benita Ferrero-Waldner will be traveling to Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan from 19-22 January. During her visit the Commissioner will
discuss proposals to substantially upgrade the level of political
engagement with the EU’s Eastern neighbours in a new Eastern
Partnership (EaP)[1]. Implementation of each country’s European
Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action will also be discussed. In Georgia
the Commissioner will discuss implementation of the up to
?¬500 million pledged to re-launch the economy and resettle
IDPs following last summer’s conflict. In Armenia and Azerbaijan she
will urge renewed efforts to find a settlement for Nagorny Karabakh/

Prior to her visit, Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: "Georgia, Armenia
and Azerbaijan are important countries for the EU, and we want to do
more to help them advance in the reform process that will bring them
greater prosperity and stability. The new Eastern Partnership offers
the prospect of a closer political and economic ties, with very
concrete help to unlock the advantages available through the ENP – for
example in the fields of trade, mobility and now, more importantly
than ever, new measures to increase these partners’ energy security
and our own. A very special relationship with the EU is on offer to
countries which choose to pursue reforms, particularly in improving
democracy, human rights and rule of law".

She added: "The EU has been the key player in ending the conflict in
Georgia, and continues to strive for progress in the Geneva process,
while making the biggest overall contribution to financial assistance
to get Georgia back to normal. Equally, the EU believes that the
region will never attain its full potential as long the frozen
conflict in Nagorny Karabakh remains unresolved, and I will want to
hear from political leaders their views on the prospects for
progress."

The trip will provide a timely opportunity to take stock of recent
developments in the South Caucasus as well as political and economic
reforms in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Other topics that will be
raised with interlocutors will include energy security; the situation
of human rights and fundamental freedoms; economic consequences of the
Georgia conflict on the region and the state of play of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as other topics of regional concern.

In Armenia the Commissioner will welcome a new initiative to deploy EU
experts inside the Armenian administration at a high level to support
reform efforts. These reforms are essential to help Armenia draw the
advantages of a closer relationship with Europe. The EU focuses in
particular on reform of the judiciary and freedom of the
media. Naturally the EU’s support for the OSCE Minsk Group efforts to
solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as improvements in
Armenian-Turkish relations will also figure high on the agenda.

In Georgia, the Commissioner confirms her full commitment to the
territorial integrity of Georgia and encourages Georgia to continue
its constructive and pragmatic approach in the Geneva discussions. The
visit is an opportunity for the Commissioner to see at first hand the
situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Georgia, by
visiting an IDP settlement. The Commissioner will stress the European
Commission’s continuing commitment to Georgia, which can be seen not
only in the unprecedented aid package being made available but also in
the negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission that will start
as soon as possible. However she will underline that the conflict
should not distract from efforts to develop greater democratic
pluralism and rule of law.

Due to the EU’s current gas crisis, meetings in Azerbaijan will
strongly focus on energy issues and the EU’s interest in the
development of a southern gas corridor to bring gas from Azerbaijan
and Central Asia to the EU. The visit will be an opportunity to
discuss how the EaP can foster stronger energy ties in the region. In
discussions on Azerbaijan’s ENP Action Plan implementation, freedom of
the media and expression will be top of the agenda, following the
recent decision by the Azerbaijani authorities not to extend the
licenses of foreign broadcasters to broadcast on national
frequencies. As in Armenia, the Commissioner will seek briefing on
latest efforts to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Eastern Partnership:

The Commission’s proposal for a new Eastern Partnership represents a
step change in the EU’s relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus[2], Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. This ambitious Partnership
foresees a substantial upgrading of the level of political engagement,
including the prospect of a new generation of Association Agreements,
far-reaching integration into the EU economy, easier travel to the EU
for citizens providing that security requirements are met, enhanced
energy security arrangements benefiting all concerned, and increased
financial assistance. The EU proposes much more intensive day to day
support for partners’ reform efforts through a new Comprehensive
Institution Building programme, and a new multilateral dimension which
will bring partners together to address common challenges. The new
Partnership includes new measures to support the social and economic
development of the 6 countries, and five flagship initiatives that
will give very concrete evidence of the EU’s support.

For more information:

ns/armenia/index_en.htm

nal_relations/georgia/index_en.htm

pa.eu/external_relations/azerbaijan/index_en.htm

http:/ /ec.europa.eu/external_relations/eastern/index_en. htm

[1] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and
the Council from 3. December 2008
( rn/docs/com08_823_en.pdf)

[2] The level of Belarus’ participation in the Eastern
Partnership will depend on the overall development of EU ‘
Belarus relations

THE VICIOUS CYCLE THAT IS THE MIDDLE EAST

The Malaysian Insider
hp/opinion/nik-nazmi-nik-ahmad/15921-the-vicious-c ycle-that-is-the-middle-east
Jan 14 2009
Malaysia

JAN 14 – As I finished reading Robert Fisk’s Great War for
Civilisation: Conquest of the Middle East, Israel was launching its
full-scale attack on Gaza. I decided to write a review and, departing
from my usual column, I am writing this in English.

The current battle in Gaza would have fitted well in the narrative of
his 2005 book, chronicling the various conflicts that have shaped the
Middle East. Since 1976, Fisk has been based in the Middle East, first
as a correspondent for the Times and since 1989, for the Independent.

What makes the thick book really special is his combination of his
eyewitness reports, and of course, inescapably when one writes on
the Middle East, the historical perspective.

Fisk also personalises it with his own family stories. Ultimately,
he concludes that the mess stems from the fall of empire after the
First World War:

"After the allied victory of 1918, at the end of my father’s war, the
victors divided up the lands of their former enemies. In the space of
just seventeen months, they created the borders of Northern Ireland,
Yugoslavia and most of the Middle East. And I have spent my entire
career – in Belfast and Sarajevo, in Beirut and Baghdad – watching
the people within those borders burn."

A unique achievement for Fisk has been his three interviews with none
other than Osama bin Laden himself, between 1994 and 1997. He made
such an impression on Osama that Fisk has been praised as a neutral
journalist by America’s Public Enemy Number One!

Fisk is critical of all sides for the vicious cycle that pervades
the Middle East. He seeks to hold all sources of power accountable,
and to remind us through his graphic and gory eyewitness reports.

One particularly troubling episode was in Lebanon in 1996. Abbas
Jiha was busy transporting bread in an ambulance to the villagers of
Mansouri that was under attack from Israel.

Najla Abujahjah, from Reuters, was nearby and saw two Apaches
stationery in the sky.

As the shelling worsened, Abbas took his wife and three young children
along with other fleeing civilians. Soon, 14 people were crammed in
the ambulance.

Najla then witnessed an unforgettable scene: the Apache closed on
the ambulance, and soon fired two missiles. One missed, but the other
hit the ambulance and "exploded through the back door, engulfing the
vehicle in fire and smoke and hurling it 20 metres through the air…"

Najla’s video recorded Abbas standing beside his dead daughters,
shrieking, "My God, my family has gone."

Najla would go on at the wreckage, and saw three children dying in
front of her eyes. In the next few hours, the Israelis claimed that
they targeted the ambulance because it belonged to Hizbollah and was
carrying a Hizbollah guerrilla – both of which Fisk stated was untrue.

Now, Israel is killing civilians in Gaza with the excuse that they
are being used a human shields by Hamas.

Fisk would go to the site and get the remnants of the missile and
bring it to its manufacturer – Boeing. Finally he confronted a group
of Boeing executives and solicited their response after being informed
about its use and Israel’s explanation.

After a shocked response, they expressed some form of compassion,
but tried to distance it from Boeing, and reminded Fisk not to quote
them as being critical of Israel’s policies.

Fisk couldn’t help but notice it:

"These men … so powerful, so overwhelmingly part of America’s
defence system, so patriotic in their motives, so immutably part of
the history of the US armed forces in Vietnam – were frightened of
offending Israel, fearful that a mere word of criticism would damage or
end their careers or send them careening off into a political crisis
within the aerospace company so serious that their careers would be
forever ravaged.

There are other more painful images being described inside the book. I
remember at first I would read these parts to my wife – a medical
doctor – but after a while she asked me to stop as it was too gory
for her.

But Fisk ultimately wanted to illustrate the hypocrisy of the West, the
cowardly and corrupt Arab leaders but also their courageous citizens.

Fisk writes:

"The corruption and cowardice of the old Middle Eastern regimes
– Mubarak’s sclerotic government in Egypt, the PLO’s apparatchik
gangs in Gaza and the West Bank – brought elections in which Islamic
candidates scored astonishing successes, not least in ‘Palestine’,
where Mahmoud Abbas’s powerless Palestinian Authority was replaced
by a Hamas government democratically elected. Now Israel’s Islamic
enemies were in power, but the United States and the European Union
imposed sanctions upon them for refusing to acknowledge Israel’s right
to exist or to abide by the PLO’s previous agreements with Israel –
not that Israel abided by many of these."

Iraq is the best example. When the country was engaged against Iran
in the 1980s, it was treated as a key ally of the West.

Then it invaded Kuwait, and became an international pariah. As a
result, sanctions were imposed that crippled the once rich nation.

Then, after September 11 2001, George W. Bush linked Saddam to Al
Qaeda and claimed he had weapons of mass destruction. Bush invaded
Iraq and overthrew Saddam, but created a slew of other problems.

Bush’s action led to the downfall of the Republicans as no weapons
of mass destruction could be found while the occupying forces have
to deal with the day-to-day violence in Iraq.

This flip-flopping was best represented by Iraq’s imports. When Iraq
was deemed a friendly regime to the West, Britain sent thiodiglycol
and thionyl chloride worth more than US$250,000 in 1988 and 1989. The
two chemicals combined formed the deadly mustard gas used in chemical
warfare.

But the British government claimed that the chemicals had civilian
uses such as ink for pen and fabric dyes.

At the same time small quantities of uranium and plutonium were also
exported to Iraq but the authorities claimed that they were committed
to prevent the enhancement of the military capacity of both Iraq
and Iran.

The irony was that after Iraq invaded Kuwait and became an enemy
state and a sanction was introduced in the country, Britain blocked a
shipment of diphtheria and yellow fever vaccines for Iraqi children,
because, according to the government, "they are capable of being used
in weapons of mass destruction."

This was in 1999, four years before the Anglo-American coalition
invaded Iraq for the same apparent reason. If in 1988 components of
mustard gas were deemed useful for civilian production of pen and
fabric dyes, in 1999 school pencils were barred because the pencil
graphite had military use. Medical journals and vital water and oil
extraction equipment were banned.

The human cost was devastating. In October 1998, up to six thousand
children died due to sanctions. Dennis Halliday, who was attached at
the UN Oil for Food Programme said,

"I recently met with trade union leaders… who asked me why the United
Nations does not simply bomb the Iraqi people and do it efficiently,
rather than extending sanctions which kill Iraqis incrementally over
a long period.

While the book provides a strong critique of the West, the Muslims
own failings were also exposed.

The plight of the Palestinian refugees in Kuwait after the expulsion
of the Iraqi invaders in 1990 is a good example: the Kuwaitis decided
to expel the 300,000 Palestinians who have been there for decades
due to suspicion that the refugees supported the invasion.

While there were some who did and the PLO maintained a pro-Iraqi stand,
many others fought the Iraqi invasion while the Kuwaiti rulers were
in exile in Saudi Arabia.

The Armenian massacre by the Turks is also chronicled, but there
were also stories of courage of individual Muslims who refused to
take part in the bloodshed instigated by the Young Turks in Istanbul,
some who even rescued the Christian Armenians.

How can the Middle East be taken out from this vicious cycle?

At the end of the day, the West must show respect to the people in the
region. The West condemns many of the countries as being undemocratic
while praising Israel as the only true democratic nation in the region.

Yet they allowed the Algerian army to disregard the results of the 1992
elections which was won by the Islamic Salvation Front. Similarly,
Bush insisted that Palestine hold democratic elections in 2006,
but then strove to punish the Palestinians for voting Hamas.

The West propped up Saddam Hussein in Iraq’s war with Iran while
he tortured his citizens, and then made him their enemy when he
invaded Kuwait. The West encouraged his citizens to rebel against
Saddam but then abandoned them when they did and stood by as Saddam
crushed them. Many corrupt and undemocratic governments are defended
merely because they are reliable allies but this only increases the
disillusionment with the West.

This breeds an attitude of hopelessness that drives the people to
violence and fuels the vicious cycle.

The cynicism shown by the Western media in portraying the latest
troubles in Palestine as if it is a battle between two equivalent
forces is symptomatic to the lack of respect.

If only the media can have the courage to depict the Israeli occupation
for what it is – a brutal form of apartheid and colonisation – then
can the Palestinians enjoy a better future.

Fisk is a shining example of courageous Western journalists who face
the flak to stand up for justice, but sadly he is a rare breed as
the media companies become dominated by powerful corporate interests.

But Muslims too must stand up to make a difference. We must speak
out against the hypocrisy of Muslim governments.

At the end of the day, we must remind ourselves, there have been only
two Muslim leaders that have successfully taken back Jerusalem for
the Muslims – Umar al-Khattab and Salahuddin al-Ayubi. While both were
excellent military tacticians, they also extolled exemplary spiritual
leadership and surprised the Christians and Jews with their chivalry.

It is remarkable that while Salahuddin – known as Saladin in the West
– defeated the Crusaders and retook Jerusalem, his moral example has
been preserved in posterity by Catholic poet Dante Alighieri in the
Divine Comedy. It is only through this combination can Muslims regain
their strength.

At the end of the day, we – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – must
reflect on the failure of international organisations such as the UN
and OIC in matters of justice and humanity. Indeed, OIC was founded
in the light of the loss of Jerusalem, but until today it has been
mocked as only being able to take an ‘Oh I see’ attitude.

With the weakening of nation-states and the emergence of more global
crises, multilateral organisations have a bigger role to play. Sadly,
they have continued to disappoint.

If the idealism that lay behind the foundation of the UN and the OIC
is truly able to make a difference in the 21st century, it lies in
recalibrating the role of multilateral organisations to make them
truly effective.

The 1,200-plus pages of the Great War for Civilization be a turn off
for many, but it is a must-read for those seeking to understand the
broader history surrounding the conflicts that pervade the Middle East.

* Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is the state assemblyman for Seri Setia and
is the political secretary to the Selangor Mentri Besar. He still
finds the time to read in between politics and football. He writes
a fortnightly article for The Malaysian Insider.

ACCORDING TO FORMER PRIME MINISTER, ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ARMENIA IS OF STRUCTURAL NATURE

Noyan Tapan

Jan 14, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The second stage of the economic
crisis to start in Armenia in March-April will result in a sharp
growth of the unemployment, the former prime minister of Armenia,
chairman of "Freedom" party Hrant Bagratian said at the January 14
press conference. He also forecast a rise in the exchange rate of
the dollar, as well as problems in commercial banks.

In his opinion, the Armenian crisis has no relation to the world crisis
and is a result of the disproportion in the economy’s structure. In
Armenia, the crisis will be deeper and last longer. He informed
those present that according to international experts, the dram’s
appreciation is the number one problem in Armenia. H. Bagratian
reminded that the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) has to control
inflation. In order to rule out a fall in the exchange rate of the
Armenian dram, the CBA is now using the government’s reserve fund
which is running short. The economist considered as dangerous the
fact that 40% of GDP growth is ensured in the construction sector
whose rates have sharply declined.

In the words of H. Bagratian, the global crisis was caused by a
bubbling in the financial market rather than by mortgage crediting. The
U.S. economy actually amounts to 15 trillion dollars, whereas the
financial market – to 500 trillion dollars. This situation formed as a
result of recrediting, which is also done in Armenia. He expressed an
opinion that the endless recrediting by Armenian banks may "blow up" at
first commercial banks, then other banks. The economist also forecast
a third stage of the crisis that will start in Armenia in the summer.

AZADLYG BLOC: "IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT RUSSIA DELIVERS MILITARY HARDWARE TO ARMENIA IN THE HISTORY OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Today.Az
politics/50079.html
Jan 13 2009
Azerbaijan

The Azadlyg political bloc has made a statement, condemning the free
delivery of military hardware of a total of $800 mln to Armenia
by Russia, reports Day.Az with reference to the Liberal Party of
Azerbaijan, represented in the bloc.

The statement notes that this is not the first case in the history
of the Karabakh conflict, though Russia is co-chairing the OSCE
Minsk Group.

Azadlyg bloc demands from the government of the country to take steps
to protect national security and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
including to use all opportunities for the delivered hardware to be
returned back to Russia.

It should be reminded that the Azadlyg bloc includes the Liberal
Party of Azerbaijan, Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan and Civil
Development Party.

Agence France Presse, France
Jan 9 2009

Georgia halts Russian gas to Armenia after pipeline damage

TBILISI, Jan 9 2009

Georgia on Friday suspended Russian gas supplies to Armenia for five
days as a result of damage to a key pipeline, the energy ministry said
in a statement.

"Transit of natural gas to Armenia has been suspended for five days"
after damage to the pipeline in eastern Georgia, the ministry said.

Russian state energy giant Gazprom said it had offered assistance to
Georgia to repair the damage and "resume gas supplies to Armenia as
soon as possible."

Armenia depends entirely on Russian gas supplies of around two billion
cubic metres a year pumped through Georgia.

ARMENIA TO USA, COACH LIVES DIVING
Rodger Sherman

Daily Northwestern
Jan 9 2009
IL

Not much is clear about what head diving coach Alik Sarkisian is
saying. He’s standing poolside, eyes widened, arms excitedly gesturing
at various pieces of gymnastics equipment, trying to find the English
to describe how he wants Northwestern to have the best dry-land diving
facilities in the country.

What comes through, past the Armenian accent and sentences sprinkled
with diving jargon, is Sarkisian’s passion for improving NU’s already
strong diving program.

Sarkisian’s diving journey has taken him over 6,000 miles from his
birthplace in Armenia. He’s lived diving nearly 40 years, since he
first entered into the Soviet Union’s Olympic training program. He’s
been a coach for 27 of those years. And after 13 Armenian diving
championships and stints as the head coach of both the American
and Armenian diving teams, he’s in his third year at the head of
NU’s program.

"He has that really impressive resume," said Kalister Harmon, a junior
diver who still has three years of eligibility left after transferring
from LSU. "But what’s really important is that he knows his stuff."

Diving at NU technically isn’t its own sport – the two men’s divers
and three women’s divers are part of their respective swim teams,
and compete during a break from the swimming portions of the team’s
meets – the divers on both squads fall under Sarkisian’s jurisdiction.

Both teams compete Saturday: the men at Carthage College, the women
hosting Notre Dame and Toledo.

As Sarkisian spoke, occasionally interrupting himself to advise his
divers, he seemed to be thinking faster than he could speak. He’s
full of talking points: A plan to have NU use the diving facilities
from the Chicago 2016 Olympics, should the city get the bid; a plan
to build a new 10-meter diving platform; his reasoning for all the
gym equipment at diving practice.

"If you do not practice first on the land," Sarkisian philosophized,
"you will go into the water with a smack."

Harmon said Sarkisian is a great coach outside of the pool, calling
him a "diving psychologist."

"A lot of times you spend too much time thinking about how the
competition is going to do better than you, and then they will,"
Harmon said. "So he tells us that if we have fun, we’ll succeed."

The most interesting workout Sarkisian puts the team through is a
fast-paced morning soccer game held on the SPAC racquetball courts
to kick off the day. The stated purpose is to improve the team’s
foot-eye coordination, but it could just as easily be to take the
monotony out of days of drilling, weight-lifting and trampolines.

All this despite Sarkisian’s occasional issues with the language
barrier.

"He uses a lot of hand gestures," Harmon said.

US AND ISRAELI FLAGS BURNED ON ASHURA DAY IN NARDARAN SETTLEMENT OF BAKU, AZERBAIJAN

Today.Az
07 January 2009 [13:40]

The Day of Ashura is held in Nardaran Village of Baku on Tuesday,
on the 10th day of Muharram.

13:30

The Day of Ashura is held in Nardaran Village of Baku on Tuesday,
on the 10th day of Muharram.

APA correspondent reports from Nardaran that Akhund of Nardaran Village
Haji Mukhtar Rza addressed the people gathered in the mosque. He spoke
about Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan and thousands of our
citizens, who became martyrs as a result of this aggression and said
that liberation of Karabakh and Iravan would pass through Quds. "The
time will come when millions of Muslim people will go against the
tyrants and will establish that system, which Quran states and will
liberate all Muslim lands from the occupation of tyrants".

Other people addressing the ceremony called on the world Muslims
to unite.

At 12.00, on the peak of Ashura, the people began to beat themselves
with chain. Then they burned US and Israeli flags and the process
was accompanied by the exclamation of "Allahu Akbar". Israeli flag
was trampled in the mosque’s yard. It was stated in Ashura meeting
that on the meeting for support of Palestinians will take place in
Imam Hussein Square in Nardaran on January 9.

The Ashura Day ceremonies continue.

12:49

APA correspondent reports from Nardaran that police posts were set at
the entrance of the village and near the Rahima Khanum Mosque where
the Ashura rite is held. A group of young people beat themselves
with chain. Mullah of Nardaran Village Haji Adil addressed the people
gathered in the mosque. He condemned Israel’s military operations in
Gaza Strip and said the United States and other countries supported
Israel.

Haji Adil called on the world Muslims to support Muslims in Gaza Strip
suffered from the Israel’s attack. "Today Karbala is Iraq, Afghanistan,
Palestine. The United States is devil. George Bush repeats Yezid’s
actions. Azerbaijan’s government should react to what happens".

The people gathered for a rite chanted "Death to America".

The elder villager Haji Ali Huseynov said Palestinian children
became martyrs as a result of military operations by Israel: "Allah
damn Israel".

Haji Ali demanded to release the people, including Nardaran villagers
arrested during the protest action before the Israel’s embassy in Baku
on January 2. He criticized the Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims
Office Sheik-al-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh saying that the
Sheikh doesn’t fulfill his obligations.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Jan 7 2009

Azeri, Armenian leaders may meet in late January

07-01-2009 04:37:31

The next meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents may take
place in late January, Matthew Bryza, US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group (MG) brokering a settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict, has said.
Bryza told a Baku-based TV channel that the MG mediators would visit
the region within the next two weeks to set the date of the
meeting. The basic principles adopted during peace talks will be
discussed during the visit as well.
Bryza did not rule out a meeting of the two countries` foreign
ministers in February. He said meetings between the two presidents
would move forward the talks on finding a solution to the
long-standing dispute.

American Chronicle, CA
Jan 6 2009

Kurmandji Leader Apologizes to Aramaeans, Armenians ` Colonial England
and France Should Follow

Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

crimes and the massacres committed against the Aramaeans (Syriacs or
Suryanis) and the Armenians in the north-eastern Ottoman territories
during WW I were almost entirely perpetrated by the indigenous
Kurmandji and Zaza populations who are different from the Turks and
from one another, and cannot be categorized as fake "Kurds".

The events were mostly due to forced displacement of mainly the
Armenian populations who had been incited by the colonial powers of
England, France and Russia to pursue a disastrous attitude, to betray
their own country, and to turn against their own homeland, the Ottoman
Empire. For this reason, in legal defense of its own territory, the
Ottoman administration rightfully decided to transfer the Armenians to
other regions where they would not be able to disturb the heroic
Ottoman army which was simultaneously fighting against the Russians,
the English and the French.

While crossing areas inhabited by Zazas and Kurmandjis, the Armenians
have been decimated, but there was no Ottoman plan for this ` which
would have automatically implied the existence of a genocide.

The events triggered greater friction between Muslim and Christian
populations, and the tragic events affected greatly the Aramaeans as
well. Because of the insecurity, sort of protection was sought after
by some Aramaeans (mainly the Nestorians) from the Russians ` which
worsened the situation and ended with the destruction of the Julamerg
(today Hakkari) Patriarchate at Kutchanus (1916).

Instead of asking Turkey (an inexistent state at those days) to
apologize for an inexistent plan of another state that does not exist
anymore (the Ottoman Empire), the Armenians, collectively as nation,
should apologize to the Turks for the Armenian high treason against
the Ottoman Empire.

A great example has been recently given by an enlightened and brave
Kurmandji political leader, Ahmet Turk, who originates from Mardin, an
area populated by Aramaeans densely before WW I and scarcely
thereafter.

With his great paradigm, Ahmet Turk introduces an element of ethics
and moral responsibility into the politics of Turkey and the wider
Middle East ` in striking contrast with the gangsters Talabani and
Barzani who idiotically believe the lies and the false promises of the
criminal colonial English and French diplomats and statesmen, and the
´guarantees´ of the evil pro-English part of the US
establishment.

In fact, the only to present their excuses and the only to pay for
their criminal deeds in the said area are the Freemasonic colonial
elites of England and France.

A union of Christians and Muslims in the wider area of the Middle East
should be formed to help all the gravely affected indigenous nations
and peoples, and to eliminate every colonial infiltration and presence
in the area ` target of the evil Freemasonic elites of the West.

I republish here an enlightening feature from the Aram Nahrin portal
which sheds more light on the recent developments.

An Important Kurdish Leader in Turkey Apologizes for the Contribution
of the Kurds to the Aramean Genocide of 1915 – Appeal to Ahmet Turk

_Aramean_Genocide_3_1_2009.htm

Ahmet Turk is the Leader of the Kurdish Party For Democratic Society
(Demokratik Toplum Partisi= DTP) in Turkey. During his trip on
30-12-2008 in South-Eastern of Turkey through the province of Mardin,
Mr. Turk visited along with other party leaders various historical and
tourist places. Amongst others, he visited the Aramean Cultural
Association in Midyat and the Aramean monastery St. Gabriel. During
his conversation with the Arameans of Tur Abdin Ahmet Turk apologized
for the contribution of the Kurds to the Aramean genocide of 1915, as
has been published on the Turkish Websites of
, , see below.

Although Ahmet Turk did not mention the word ‘Genocide’, yet his
statement is a important step in the right direction in a country
where such statements are taboo.

Mr. Turk said, "Because of the sorrow of the heartrending events, we
feel necessary to apologize".

Please find below the articles published on the website of
and , with the right
column the original Turkish text and left column the English
translation.

In Turkey there are around 20.000 Arameans of which major part is
living in Istanbul. In Tur Abdin there are but around 2.000
Arameans. In the Turkey the Arameans are known as "Suryani". The
English translation sounds like "Syrian", which is a synonymy for
Aramean.

During the genocide of 1915 beside Armenians, around 600.000 Arameans
were killed ( More about this horrible genocide:
nPhysicalGenocide.htm)

The recognition of the Aramean physical genocide by a prominent
Kurdish leader is a step in the right direction. Hopefully more Kurds
will follow his example and finally also the Turks will do
this. However, with that there is no end to the matter.

Contrary to the Armenians and Greeks, the Arameans also have suffered
the horrible spiritual genocide. This spiritual genocide is the
extermination of the Aramean cultural heritage by the Western
missionaries and diplomats in the 16th and 19th century whereby the
Arameans were exposed to fanaticism, nationalism and fake
identities. In the 16th century the Catholics along with France
brainwashed by means of blackmail and bribery a part of the East-
Aramean Nestorians to call themselves "Chaldeans" and as a result of
that in 1553 the "Chaldean Church of Babylon" was established. As a
counter-maneuver, the same game was repeated in the 19th century, this
time by the Anglican mission along with the British diplomats and
brainwashed the remaining part of the East- Aramean Nestorians to call
themselves henceforth "Assyrians".

In this way through the zealous efforts of the Roman Catholic Church
and Anglican Mission, in the name of ‘Jesus’; an unprecedented
nationalism mixed with religion was implemented with terrible
consequences for the part of our nation. A cultural genocide was
carried out against our nation. And this genocide is today shameless
and criminally is being continued (More about this:
iritual_Genocide.htm )

The hypocrisy and viciousness with many Western "genocide experts" is
that they refuse to point at delicate matters where the West is
concerned, namely the fact that the spiritual genocide has reinforced
the physical genocide. The reason for this refusal and hesitation to
acknowledge their deliberate machinations could be a significant
indication that there is more going on than de killings of Arameans by
the Turks and Kurds. Most probably the Western powers have, through
the mediation of their proxies and diverse secret society and
implacable international networks, participated in this abominable
genocide, not to say orchestrated.

How do they act regarding these heinous machinations? To present
themselves as "the good ones", "the civilized ones" and to put their
"goodness and morality" in the spotlight, they ran the Turks into the
ground and portray them as the most evil and barbaric nation. We
believe that this is rather a shame-cover for their own crimes than
bringing the unimaginable sorrow which the Aramean and other
Christians have suffered under the Ottoman Empire under the attention
of the world .

As though this is not immoral and objectionable enough, these racist
and horrible bandits continue with all happiness to designate our
nation as "Assyrians", as if their forefathers have done a good and a
holy job with the spiritual cultural extermination of our nation.

As Arameans we have a long path to go. With the recognition of the
Aramean Physical genocide, the matter is certainly not finished. On
the contrary, the recognition of Aramean spiritual genocide is even
more important, because the diffused Western hatred and division,
which is still being continued, finally will result in the complete
extermination of the Aramean nation. Today, we see this very clearly
in Iraq. And the traitors among us, seem along with some of their
western spiritual creators and criminals, to achieve this very soon.

Spiritual cultural genocide committed by the PKK – Appeal to Ahmet
Turk and other Kurdish leaders for condemnation

The Aramean physical genocide was indeed committed by the Turks and
Kurds. Most probably, this genocide was orchestrated by the satanic
and the criminal Jesus of the West through their proxies and secret
societies. We would not be amazed that many high level Turkish as well
as Kurdish leader responsible for this horrible crimes against
humanity were controlled by the abominable proxies of the Jesus of the
West, who definitely should not be confused with the Jesus Christ of
the Bible.

If today some independent conscientious Turkish scholars along with
Kurdish scholars would dig in the history of this terrible genocide,
they most probably would be utterly shocked to discover that those who
orchestrated at the high level this genocide are not of Turkish origin
at all, but are the children of Jesus of the West with completely
different nationality than they ever would imagine. Probably some of
them know, but do not dare to call a spade a spade.

The tactic of the criminal Jesus of the West is always to exterminate
by their proxies so that nobody would ever discover the real
perpetrators.

Similar crimes have been orchestrated by the Satanic Jesus of the West
in 1993 when a covenant was coined between the PKK and the apostate
Arameans who call themselves "Assyrians". Please find here more on
this crimes against the Aramean nation:
s_Alliance_PKK_ADO_24_4_1993.htm. Below
we summarize this criminal monstrous covenant to exterminate the
Aramean culrural heritage.

This covenant between the PKK and the apostate Arameans who call
themselves "Assyrians" was coined as follows:

Establishment of a sister-organization of PKK and recruitment of youth
in the West.

Falsification of Aramean identity, Mr. Ocalan himself says "We will
change history".

If the PKK would prevail, the "Assyrians" would share in this victory.

After this covenant was made, a horrible spiritual genocide initiated
against the Aramean nation in many Kurdish media by the
PKK. Everywhere the Arameans were called "Assyrians", thus a horrible
"Assyrianization" campaign was started. A cultural extermination of
the satanic Jesus of the West was now conducted by the PKK and wicked
spiritual colonial children of the Jesus of the West, the
"Assyrians". And this spiritual cultural genocide of PKK against the
Aramean nation continues until these days. In many Kurdish and Turkish
newspapers they designate our people in English as "Assyrians", which
is a fake and a crime of the first order.

The Turkish word "Suryaniler" means Syrians in English. And the word
Syrian is a Synonymy for Arameans and certainly not for
"Assyrians". In Turkish is this: Suryaniler= Aramiler, English:
Syrians= Arameans. Please find here the famous scholars of the Syrian
Orthodox Church of Antioch who all testify on the Synonymy
Aramean/Syrian. orians.htm

What the apostate Arameans who call themselves "Assyrians" are doing
is that they follow the criminal western invention of the lost- A
trick which states that "Syria" is a shortened form of "Assyria". See
more on this matter:

mitive_dangerous_ADO_ideology_16_9_2008.htm

http: // seph_5_7_2008.htm

For this reason we appeal to Ahmet Turk and other conscientious
Kurdish leaders and say:

1. Condemn the spiritual cultural extermination campaign of PKK to
designate the Aramean / Suryani people in the Kurdish media as
"Assyrians".

2. Condemn the spiritual genocide committed by the satanic Jesus of
the West.

3. Mobilize other conscientious Kurds and make them aware of the
horrendous covenant between PKK and the satanic Western spiritual
colonization and slavery product "Assyrians".

4. Warn all the Kurdish English language media under your sphere of
influence to respect the Suryani/ Aramiler people and never call
them by the wicked, colonial Western designation "Assyrians".

5. Ahmet Turk says "When I encounter today a Armenian and Syrian
brothers and look at them, we feel ashamed". The PKK should be even
more ashamed than that, because they carried out a evil plan
against the Aramean nation to "Assyrianize" them; a plan which was
initiated by the immoral and apostate western
Christianity. Therefore PKK should apologize for this crime and
stop with glorifying it. It is a worst form of genocide!

Annex 1

-turk-suryanilerden-ozur-diledi.html

The Kurds apologize for the first time

30 December 2008/21:50

During his visit to the Syrian Cultural Association in Midyat in the
province of Mardin, the Chairman of DTP, Ahmet Turk, made an apologize
to the Syrians for the events which took place in the year 1915.

Perhaps, we the Kurds had also played a role in the killings of these
(cutural) heritages.

When I encounter today a Armenian and Syrian brothers and look at
them, we feel ashamed", he said.

We Apologize

The leader of DTP who came to Midyat in the district Mardin along with
the general secretary and Mardin parliamentarian Emine Ayna,
Diyarbekir parliamentarian Aysel Tugluk and Sanliurfa parliamentarian
Ibrahim Binici, visited together tourist and historical places in the
province.

After that, they visited under leadership of chairman Turk of DTP, de
Syrian Cultural Association in Midyat and spoke with the Chairman
Yuhanna Aktas and the members of the association.

On the reality of the events of 1915, the DTP leader Ahmet Turk said
this:

Because of the sorrow of the heartrending events, we feel necessary to
apologize".

When we see Armenians and Syrians, we feel ashamed.

Qualifying the geography of Mesopotamia and the place of
civilizations, Turk went on in this way:

The Kurds, Armenians, and Yezidis live as distinct ethnics, with their
faith, without discrimination very well with each other.

With the protection of preventing discrimination, we will become god
people.

Of course our brothers Armenians, our brothers Syrians have lived
under the process of continued sorrow.

Our Kurdish brothers suffer today the same sorrow.

We should not forget that in the past the Kurds have been used against
other brothers, a factual happening to search the history very well
for it and it is important to learn lessons from that history.

Perhaps, we the Kurds had also played a role in the killings of these
(cultural) heritages.

When I encounter today a Armenian and Syrian brothers and look at
them, we feel ashamed.

This also I wanted to state clearly".

Ahmet Turk and the DTP board visited after that the Deyrulummer
monstery situated in the Midyat district and spoke with bishop Samuel
Aktas of Tur Abdin.

Annex 2

di-haberi/

Makes An Apology to the Syrians

31.12.2008 01:35

During his visit to the Syrian Cultural Association in Midyat in the
province of Mardin, the Chairman of DTP, Ahmet Turk, made an apologize
to the Syrians for the events which took place in the year 1915.

During his visit to the Syrian Cultural Association in Midyat in the
province of Mardin, the Chairman of DTP, Ahmet Turk, made an apologize
to the Syrians for the events which took place in the year 1915.

Qualifying the geography of Mesopotamia and the place of
civilizations, Turk went on in this way: "The Kurds, Armenians, and
Yezidis live as distinct ethnics, with their faith, without
discrimination very well with each other.

Our Kurdish brothers suffer today the same sorrow.

We should not forget that in the past the Kurds have been used against
other brothers, a factual happening to search the history very well
for it and it is important to learn lessons from that history.

When I encounter today a Armenian and Syrian brothers and look at
them, we feel ashamed.

Because of the sorrow of the heartrending events, we feel necessary to
apologize.

This also I wanted to state clearly".

Note

Picture: Kurdish chieftain Soto among Aramaean doctors to whose advise
he sought when ill; later he engaged his forces against them, and died
in fight at the times of WW I ().
http://ww w.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/86957

Le Point
1 janvier 2009

La polémique arménienne; Turquie

Guillaume Perrier

« Ma conscience ne peut accepter que l’on reste indifférent à la
Grande Catastrophe que les Arméniens ottomans ont subie en 1915, et
qu’on la nie. » Cette campagne lancée par quatre intellectuels turcs
qui demandent « pardon » à leurs « frères et soeurs arméniens » a déjà
recueilli 25 000 signatures sur Internet et provoque un profond débat
dans le pays. L’armée, les diplomates, l’opposition « laïque » et le
Premier ministre, Erdogan, se sont tous violemment insurgés contre
cette initiative, considérée au mieux comme un coup de pub du « lobby
pro-arménien », au pire comme une trahison nationale et une dangereuse
atteinte aux intérêts de l’Etat. Le président Gül, lui, y a plutôt vu
un signe de bonne santé démocratique, favorisée par son voyage en
Arménie, en septembre. Ces excuses publiques ébranlent un peu plus le
tabou historique qui règne en Turquie sur le massacre de plus de 1
million d’Arméniens d’Anatolie en 1915.