Author: Frangulian Shushan

Turkish Press
April 3 2005

Press Review

Hurriyet
HALACOGLU: “THE EFFORTS AGAINST ME ALSO TARGET TURKEY”

Commenting on the beginning of legal procedures against him in
Switzerland, Turkish Historical Society (TTK) head Yusuf Halacoglu
said yesterday that the attempt wasn’t directed at him alone, but
also against Turkey. “This is an effort to convict Turkey,” he said.
Stressing that he had delivered two separate speeches in Switzerland
last year disproving the Armenian allegations using documents,
Halacoglu said that that the action against him was inconsistent with
law and democracy. On the other hand, Swiss Embassy officials in Ankara
yesterday characterized a request by officials for Halacoglu’s personal
information from Turkish authorities via Interpol as “a normal and
ordinary procedure” in the context of the investigation. /Hurriyet/

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

THE CATHOLICOSATE PARTICIPATES IN THE MEETING OF THE MECC INTER-CHURCH
NETWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF

The Central Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches’ (MECC)
Inter-Church Network for Development and Relief in Lebanon held its first
meeting in the MECC headquarters in Beirut on April 19 and elected the
representative of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, Dr. Jean Salmanian, as its
chairman for the next four years.

The central committee is composed of representatives of MECC member
churches. Four regional committees in Lebanon (Beirut-Mount Lebanon,
Tripoli, Saidon and Bekaa) are subject to the central committee.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Turkish Press
April 29 2005

Press Review
MILLIYET

ANKARA BEGINS TO REVIEW KOCHARIAN LETTER

Ankara is giving `positive and extensive’ consideration to a letter
sent by Armenian President Robert Kocharian proposing a bilateral
committee, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. In his letter to
Ankara earlier this week, Kocharian proposed that an
intergovernmental committee be set up to discuss ways to normalize
relations between the two countries. `Mr. Kocharian’s letter is being
discussed extensively with a positive view,’ Foreign Ministry
spokesman Namik Tan said. In an earlier letter, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan called on Kocharian to first establish a joint
committee of scholars from both countries to settle the Armenian
genocide allegations. /Milliyet/

AZG Armenian Daily #078, 30/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

ALL-ARMENIAN PROGRAM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

A Group of Experts at WAC Takes on the Task

Moscow lawyer Yuri Barseghov thinks that the experts’ task in today’s
political environment is to delineate and solve issues that are necessary
for “choosing best ways for reaching our goals”. “Namely, based on
international laws and principles to get free from the past and to take up
building new relations between Turkey and Armenia”, he said.

On May 6-7 2004, “The Factor of Genocide in Improving Armenian-Turkish
Relations” conference organized by the World Armenian Congress in Yerevan
pulled in Armenian and foreign scientists studying the Genocide issue. As a
result of two-day discussions a group of experts from different countries
was formed which set a goal to systematize issues concerning
Armenian-Turkish relations.

President of WAC Ara Abrahamian took part in the second session of the
experts’ commission in Yerevan on April 25-26. During his meeting with
journalists Ara Abrahamian said that the Armenian people has to clearly
formulate what it demands from Turkey, what should be the sequence of
improving Armenian-Turkish relations and Genocide-related issues. The WAC
president emphasized that the commission is not looking to oppose to the
official position, just the contrary, it will try to form a pan-Armenian
position. “We have to have dialogue with Turkey”, he said.

Vahagn Tatrian, Yuri Barseghov, members of suspended Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Committee Andranik Mihranian and Van Grigorian, historians
Richard Hovhannisian and Ruben Safrastian and others took part in experts’
Yerevan meeting.

Legal, political and historic aspects of the Armenian Genocide were this
time on the agenda of Yerevan meeting. Particularly:

1. Time frame within which the Armenian Genocide was committed and setting
its period (particularly 1876-1914 and 1915-1923).

2. Number of deported and killed people according to stages.

3. International law at the period of Armenian Genocide with a focus to
clarify whether the Turkish state is responsible or not.

4. Applicability of UN Convention of December 9, 1948 to the Armenian
Genocide.

5. Armenian Genocide and topicality of crimes against humanity for all
times.

6. Importance of Genocide recognition from aspects of politics and
international law.

7. Conditions of improving Armenian-Turkish relations on the bases of
international law (particularly, condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by
Turkey, recognition of the right of the offspring of the killed to return to
their historic homeland, moral and material reparation, territorial issues).

Moscow political scientist Andranik Mihranian considers important that the
WAC experts’ commission elaborates a program for Armenian-Turkish relations
and the Genocide issue.

He thinks it wrong that official Yerevan’s and Diaspora’s stances on
Armenian-Turkish relations, particularly on the Genocide, may differ. “There
should be one position. Armenia has to become the subject in the issue and
put forward the Genocide recognition before Turkey and world community. Not
only this, the state has to raise issues of financial and even territorial
reparation”, he said during the 2d session of the experts’ commission in
Yerevan.

Mihranian thinks that the Armenian state should not simply declare that it
demands Genocide recognition and leave other issues to the presidents to
come. On the other hand, he thinks that there should not be dreamlike
demands as regards return of territories.

Ruben Safrastian thinks that Armenia should keep on pressing on Turkey and
widen its circle of allies. “It’s important that pressure gradually builds
up. We (the commission) can call on Armenian authorities to raise the issue
of Armenian monuments in Turkey”, Safrastian said.

Legal and political aspects of the Armenian Genocide were also discussed
during the two-day get-together. Is the UN Convention of December 9 1948
applicable in case of the Armenian Genocide, should Armenia apply to the UN
or International Court to find out whether the events of 1915 were a
genocide or not? Finally, is present-day Turkey responsible for the Genocide
or not? If yes, to what extent? One of the best specialists in Genocide
issues, Vahagn Tatrian, thinks that we should never apply to any court as
“it will become a trap for Armenia”.

It was certainly impossible to work out a joint position on Genocide and
Armenia-Turkish relation within two days as it was only the second meeting
of experts and the issues were disputable.

By Tatoul Hakobian

AZG Armenian Daily #076, 28/04/2005

Armenia-Turkey

PRES. KOCHARIAN’S REPLY RECEIVES DEEP RESONANCE IN TURKEY

On April 13, Turkish press informed that Turkey’s prime minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to RA President Robert Kocharian suggesting “to
establish a joint group consisting of historians and other experts from our
two countries to study the developments and events of 1915”. The same they
Turkish Huriyet newspaper hurried to noise abroad that the Armenian side
turned the offer down, despite the fact that the letter reached Yerevan only
on April 17.

This disinformation aimed apparently at several targets: to picture Armenia
as irreconcilable before the world community, to force Armenia reply the
letter, to oppose the letter to activities directed to Genocide recognition
and to signal the US President to be careful not to say pro-Armenian things
in his traditional speech on occasion of Armenia Genocide on April 24.

On April 26, President Kocharian replied to Erdogan’s letter emphasizing
that “governments are responsible for bilateral relations and we have no
right to authorize historians. Thus we suggest as we did before to establish
normal relations between the two states without preconditions. In this
context there may be set an intergovernmental commission to discuss all
bilateral issues with the aim to solve them and reach mutual understanding”.

Turkish foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, said in his televised appearance
that he is just back from Luxemburg and has not yet received a copy of
Kocharian’s letter but the Foreign Ministry will carefully study it and will
make assessments after which it will be presented to the prime minister and
official announcement will follow. Contrary to Gul, CNN-Turk quoted Foreign
Ministry employees as saying that the text of RA President’s letter was
predictable, by underlining inadmissibility of preconditions the Armenians
want to start a dialogue with us without withdrawing from the Azeri
territories and disowning genocide assertions and territorial claims.

Those statements are possibly non-official statements of official circles
aiming perhaps at checking out Armenian side’s opposition. A non-official
response came from Zaman daily’s Turkish Armenian correspondent Etienne
Mahcupyan who wrote, “Atmosphere in Turkish-Armenian relations has changed
to positive. I think the US has its input in it. Armenia and Turkey are
looking for ways to come closer. This is the period of reconciliation. From
this respect, Armenia’s step is very important. Turkey needs to avoid
unnecessary sensitivity which will turn into an obstacle for it”.

Prof. Mensur Aqgyuz added to Mahcupyan’s words, “This a sign of U-turn in
Turkey-Armenia relations. Henceforth the relations between the two countries
will take the course of improvement. Of course there is the Azeri factor.
Nationalistic circles of Turkey may well show resistance. The government
needs to be cautious and make careful steps. Improvement of Turkish-Armenian
relations will contribute to improvement of our relations with the whole
world. In this case it will be easier for Turkey to explain to the world
that it recognizes the events of 1915 as ‘tragedy’ and not as ‘genocide’. It
will help us to put up with our history”.

Taha Aqyol from Yeni Safaq noted that “Kocharian is using a positive
language not to leave impression of an irreconcilable. It’s not honest.
Honesty supposes that the sides will come closer slinging away worrying
claims and provocations”.

By Hakob Chakrian

L’Humanité
27 avril 2005

Sans patrie ni recours;
Droits de l’homme. Une famille arménienne, déboutée de sa demande
d’asile, est à la rue depuis hier matin dans le Rhône.

Émilie Rive

Décines (Rhône), neuf heures, à l’hôtel Classe 1. Il reste une
heure à Armo et Arévik Goukassov et leurs trois filles pour quitter
la chambre. Pour aller où ? Mystère. Ils sont là depuis le 15
avril, jour où Forum Réfugiés a expliqué que, parce qu’ils
étaient déboutés du droit d’asile, leur hébergement n’était plus
pris en charge dans le foyer de Villeurbanne, où ils vivaient depuis
quatre ans. Ils avaient un sursis de huit jours, à l’hôtel, pour
trouver un toit… Les bagages sont à l’accueil, la famille devant
la porte, avec des responsables de la Ligue des droits de l’homme de
Villeurbanne, de Resovigi, des élus communistes de Décines et de
Vaulx-en-Velin. Elina, dix-huit ans en octobre, est au lycée et
Nelia à l’école primaire, à Villeurbanne, Genia, au collège
Jacques-Duclos de Vaulx-en-Velin.
Plus de nationalité
La famille n’a plus de nationalité : arménienne de l’Azerbaïdjan,
elle a fui la guerre, s’est réfugiée en Ukraine, alors République
de l’Union soviétique, dont elle a obtenu la nationalité. Mais, à
l’implosion de l’URSS, la nationalité ukrainienne est retirée.
Arévik, infirmière, perd son emploi, Armo, marin, devient taxi
clandestin. Ils cherchent protection en France pour leurs enfants.
Aujourd’hui, l’Ukraine refuse de les accueillir. Les autorités
françaises leur demandent pourtant d’y retourner.
Après le refus de l’OFPRA et de la commission de recours des
réfugiés, la demande de réexamen s’est déroulée selon la
procédure dite « prioritaire », dont le refus est pratiquement
inscrit d’avance, pour demande « infondée ». Aujourd’hui, le seul
recours possible, devant la commission de recours des réfugiés, est
à titre humanitaire : Nelia souffre de graves troubles
psychologiques dus aux violences dont son père a été victime.
Mais, dans ce cas, l’État n’assume plus quelque responsabilité que
ce soit en matière de logement. Il reste la rue. Depuis quatre ans,
tout droit au travail leur est refusé. Ils se nourrissent de bons
d’alimentation.
Préfecture sourde
La préfecture du Rhône, qui a, le 15 avril, déclaré qu’il ne
pouvait être question que des familles restent à la rue à la suite
du plan froid, a refusé toute entrevue hier matin. Les services de
la DDASS ont répondu qu’ils avaient trois cents personnes dont ils
ne savaient quoi faire. Pour cette nuit, malgré les réticences à
pallier les carences de l’État, le groupe des élus communistes et
républicains de Vaulx-en-Velin a décidé de financer, en urgence,
la chambre d’hôtel, dont le gérant explique qu’il a cinq familles
dans le même cas. La mairie de Villeurbanne est sollicitée.
L’avocate Nathalie Caron ne décolère pas : « Il y a la famille
Goussakov, apatride, il y a une autre famille arménienne dont
l’enfant a une maladie génétique qui va être expulsée, il y a ce
jeune homme en procédure de demande d’asile dont le conseil
général du Rhône ne veut plus payer la chambre d’hôtel à la
seconde pile de ses dix-huit ans… ».
Émilie Rive

Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 27 2005

Time to be Careful on the Way to EU

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gül,
in his explanation to Aydın Karaçay, Editor-in-chief of TRUE,
declared that Turkey was taking stable steps on the way to EU and
said Turkey would definitely discharge his duties until October 3.
Gül declared that the Government was aware of what was being gained
by EU process and they aimed to make the level of Turkey’s living
standard the same as EU and said: `Since we want our country to
reach the same level with a European Union country in education,
health, environment, transportation fields, EU is very important for
us. Don’t think it is only about democratic rights and freedom.
This is a much more important issue.’

Gül declared that the real sinister matters in our country were
trying to be hidden as a result of our political tradition and said:

`They say whoever comes next should solve the problem. The one who
comes last pays the bill. Actually, Turkey pays the bill in such a
case. If they had been fastidious, careful, if they had stayed away
from the populistic policies and had wanted to do the right thing,
everything would be better for Turkey today. Populism is easy, it is
possible to make the public violently angry but in the end it causes
turkey to come to an impasse, this has always been forgotten. We have
two choices. Either we will integrate with the modern life and EU
with reciprocal trust or we will be isolated. We know what happens to
the isolated countries. Isolated Turkey cannot be democratically and
economically powerful. There are examples, we may be like Belarus
(Ukraine of old times) or like some Asian countries. Turkish public
is a developed public which has a cultural and intellectual heritage,
which knows the world and the pleasures of freedom. Turkish public
has developed too much, from now on it cannot be isolated from the
world.

They have to prove their Genocide claims

Gül declared that they were closely following the improvements about
so-called Armenian Genocide which has is trying to be put on the
agenda recently. `Anybody should not forget the fact that Turkish
and Armenian publics lived together for 1000 years. We shouldn’t
forget that Armenians had senior position in Ottoman Empire period
and also Armenian Church was established in this period. The ones who
are honest and objective about this matter do not forget these facts.
Although these facts, Turkey still being treated hostilely.’

Foreign Minister made a call to European countries saying: `You
have to give an explanation and prove your claims about so-called
Armenian Genocide’ and he wanted the ones who act as a stooge for
unreal hearsays to be very careful.

He described ˜Armenian diaspora living in Europe and America’ as
following; `All of them are carefree. They needed something to
carry on their minority conscious and power. Besides this, they are
guilty because they don’t go to Armenia and help there.’ He said:
`Everybody had difficulties during the war. The ones who launched
the claims about so-called Genocide are imperialist surroundings and
chauvinist Armenian racists. Well… Are these claims true? If
that’s so, then what does Armenian Church do in this country? How
do our Armenian citizens live here? These claims are casuistries and
calumnies. We have a call for the parliements and countries which act
as a stooge for the claims: `Since you make such comments, you will
have to render account, you will have to prove it. We invited
everyone and opened all our archives. We made a call for all the
scientists. We called the Armenian scientists as well. So we will
always walk tall.’ Abdullah Gül reminded that there was no
relevance between so-called Armenian Genocide and Turkey’s EU
membership. He noticed that the conditions of the negotiation process
are definite for all the candidate countries and Turkey’s full
membership process will occur under the conditions defined by Acquis
Communitaire.

We won’t make concessions in Cyprus matter

Abdullah Gül underlined that Turkey had never made concessions in
Cyprus matter and said: `Everybody should be cool-headed and think.
What did we lose because of Government’s Cyprus policy which has
been carried out until now? If there is a loss, somebody should tell
it. We even didn’t take back one of our soldiers. We even didn’t
lose 1 meter square. We made Cypriot Greeks say that both societies
don’t want to live together. The whole world was shocked with the
fact that they have been cheated by Cypriot Greeks until now. Most of
the handicaps were removed for Turkey. Were Cypriot Turks better
before the referendum although they were open to the world before? Or
the contrary? Everything goes on step by step. We know that it is not
going on as fast as we hope. All of us are struggling in order to win
more. I am asking the ones who say we gave up TRNC: `Why did you
start the negotiations after TRNC had been announced. Why did you
come together with Cypriot Greeks in UN after TRNC had been
established? What did you negotiate over an established country? If
such a negotiation is done, it is normal for TRNC not to be
recognized.’ Abdullah Gül said that signing partnership agreement
with Southern Cyprus did not mean recognizing it and noticed that
Cypriot Greek ships would not be able to enter Turkish ports and he
added: `Turkey will go on recognizing TRNC. We have got an
ambassador in TRNC, and EU knows it. In the agreements, it is written
which areas are included, so why do we need to limit our future? For
2-3 months, we have been seeing the world-famous English, American,
French law firms which are the best in international relations. We
have been very careful. Everybody decided that it is an ˜unilateral
recognition’. We are conscious about our each step.’

Story from;
`True’, Society of European Journalists,Yıl:1, Sayı:5, 10, 27
Nisan 2005.

AZG Armenian Daily #075, 27/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

WILL ARMENIANS AND TURKS EVER COME TO TERMS?

24% Said Yes, 33% Said No

The issue of the Armenian Genocide arouses painful feelings in 40% of
Armenian citizens, revenge in 21%, hatred in 18%, hostility in 11.5%, pity
in 5% and sense of guilt in 2%.

53% of Armenians consider human loss the greatest calamity of the Genocide,
23% sees the land loss as such, 7% the loss of national spirit and will, 4%
the loss of intelligentsia.

The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) conducted
a public poll opinion among 1900 citizens in all regions of Armenia on the
eve of Armenian Genocide’s 90th anniversary. They asked 40 questions. Stepan
Safarian, ACNIS research coordinator, presented poll’s results yesterday. We
have rounded up the numbers.

61% of respondents views the Turkish state as the ultimate responsible
authority for the Genocide, 55% the Young Turks, 30% Germany, 23% Turkish
people, 13% the Russian Empire, 10% Armenian traditional political parties.

“Is today’s Turkey responsible for the Genocide?” 81% gave positive answer,
8% negative. Speaking of modern Turkey and its people 63% of respondents
said that “Turks remains Turks and capable of committing genocide”, 29% said
that “Turkish official policy and a common Turk are different things”, 7%
think that “nowaday Turks are not the barbarians of early 20th century”.

93.5% thinks that Armenia has to demand reparations from Turkey. The next
question was “What kind of reparation do you expect?” 27% said that Turkey
has to officially recognize the Genocide, apologize, become civilized and
put down all means of Genocide negation. 20% wants to see the territories of
Western Armenian back.

25% stands for Turkey’s accession to the EU, 52% is against it, 23% was hard
to answer. On the other hand, 62% thinks that the Genocide recognition
should be put as a precondition before Turkey.

“Do you agree with Armenia’s position of establishing bilateral relations
with Turkey without preconditions but with the pursuance of Genocide’s
international recognition?” 40% agreed, 29% did not and 31% could not
answer.

The public opinion poll showed that the majority of Armenia’s population
still continues subconsciously to perceive Turkey’s western regions as
Western Armenia. Answering the question “Where the Armenian Genocide took
place?”, 76% said in Western Armenia, 19% said in the Ottoman Empire.

By Tatoul Hakobian

Reuters Alert, UK
April 26 2005

Armenia conditionally backs genocide probe idea
26 Apr 2005 18:22:05 GMT

Source: Reuters

YEREVAN, April 26 (Reuters) – The president of ex-Soviet Armenia on
Tuesday conditionally backed a Turkish proposal to set up a joint
commission to investigate claims of mass genocide of Armenians 90
years ago.

Robert Kocharyan said the proposal would work only if better
relations were first established between Turkey and his country of
3.2 million lying on its eastern border.

The neighbours share a border but no diplomatic ties.

Armenia wants Ankara to recognise as genocide the killing of 1.5
million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. Armenians say their kin were
systematically exterminated by Ottoman Turkey’s rulers during and
soon after World War One.

Ankara says there was no plan to wipe out Armenians and that they
were victims of a war, not genocide.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has suggested opening up the
countries’ state archives for experts from both countries to resolve
the issue, which is casting a shadow over Ankara’s ambitions to join
the European Union.

“We have proposed and continue to propose establishing, without any
preconditions, normal relations between our countries,” Kocharyan
wrote in reply to the Turkish plan.

“It is precisely in this context that an inter-governmental
commission can be created to discuss any single question between our
two countries or all questions with the goal of solving them and
achieving joint understanding.”

Turkey shut its border with Armenia in 1993 and cut diplomatic ties
in solidarity with Azerbaijan which was fighting a war with the
Armenians over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Kocharyan added: “Your proposal to address the past cannot be
effective if it doesn’t relate to the present and future.”

Turkey’s Oct. 3 start date for talks on EU membership has put the
dispute firmly on the political agenda. France, home to an
influential 400,000-strong Armenian community, has promised to seek a
Turkish admission of genocide.

Erdogan, addressing an Istanbul conference, repeated his criticism of
politicians in Europe and North America who backed the Armenian
demands, saying their stance would “stoke resentment and hatred, not
be a basis for peace in the world”.

“If we have to face up to our history, we will do so. But other
countries must also face up to the same history,” he said.

Pan Armenian News

KIEVYAN BRIDGE TO CLOSE FOR 4 MONTHS

25.04.2005 07:50

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ From April 26 the traffic on the Kievyan Bridge will be
suspended for four months, head of the department of construction and
municipal economy Ashot Sargsian told journalists today. In his words, major
repairs totaling in 380 million AMD will be carried out. Head of the
municipal transport department Tigran Ghazarian informed that 5 mini-buses
(N3, 27, 28, 40a and 90) will follow the route along the Tsitsernakaderd
Hill. The routes of the other mini-buses will lie along the Davidashen
Bridge. Mini-buses N18 and 64 will go along Orbeli Street. Besides, the
route terminal of mini-buses N58 and 66, which started from Barekamutyun
subway station, will be prolonged to the Hrazdan Bridge. To note, the
Kievyan Bridge has never undergone thorough repairs since it was put into
operation in 1950.