Author: Maghakian Mike

Results of the research on ‘Armenia and the Armenians, Turkey and the Turks in Armenian Mass Media’ represented

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: The results of the research on ‘Armenia
and the Armenians, Turkey and the Turks in the Armenian Mass Media’
were represented today at the Caucasian Institute. The research was
carried out from December 1 to 31, 2009 by 6 young researches of the
Caucasian institute in assistance with UNDP. More than 200 articles
of various Armenian mass media were involved in the research. Hrant
Mikayelyan, head of the research group, mentioned that the research was
aimed at making clear the opinion of the Armenians about themselves
and the Turks in the context of the Armenian-Turkish relations. The
research showed that the representatives of the Armenian authorities
expressed the same opinions, and the opinions of representatives of
the opposition varied from each other. The articles proved that the
process of the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations is
quite important for the political life of Armenia.

According to the representatives of the opposition, Turkey would be
the winner in the process, and the coalition members said Armenia
would win. In that period the opinions and statements on Turkey
were mostly negative. Opinions and statements, such as ‘The Turk
remains the same Turk’, ‘Turkey always cheats us’, etc. were made
quite frequently. Hrant Mikayelyan said it is quite strange that the
statements of the Turkish Prime Minister hold quite a firm place in
the Armenian mass media. Opinions on the Armenian Genocide were quite
various. There were some statements, according to which ‘the Genocide
is the fault of the whole Turkish nation’. As to the position of
Armenia about the process, it was mentioned that ‘Armenia should lead
a tougher policy’. The results of the research will be available on the
website of the Caucasian Institute in Armenian, Russian and English.

CIVIL ORGANISATIONS SET TO WORK OVER ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS

Aysor
April 28 2010
Armenia

A Consortium, involving four civil organisations of Armenia, has been
established to work over the Armenia-Turkey relations, organisation’s
members announced at today’s press conference.

The Consortium consists of the International Center for Human
Development (ICHD), Armenia’s Union of Businessmen and Industrialists,
the Yerevan Press Club, and the Eurasia Cooperation Found. The
organisations signed a memorandum on April 26.

ICHD Executive Director Tevan Poghosian pointed out that the Consortium
is not a political body. "Henceforth all our initiatives and events,
aimed at the normalisation of relations with Turkey, will be carried
out by joint efforts," he said.

President of Armenia’s Union of Businessmen and Industrialists,
Armen Kazarian, said that despite the ratification of Armenia-Turkey
protocols had been suspended, the initiatives by the civil sector
can be useful.

"We can hardly move to friendly relations with our neighbors without
rapprochement between the two civil societies, without the public
diplomacy," said Armen Kazarian.

The members of the Consortium experienced the implementation of
programmes, aimed at the reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey;
they have established relations with nearly 150 partners, and will
cooperate with them within the framework of Consortium’s activities.

SEASONS OF ARMENIAN CULTURE TO BE HELD IN TBILISI ON MAY 3-5

ArmInfo
2010-04-28 11:31:00

ArmInfo. Seasons of Armenian culture will be held in Tbilisi on
May 3-5.

As Head of the Public Relations Department of Armenia’s Ministry of
Culture Gayane Durgaryan told ArmInfo, the Armenian delegation will
include the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, the ballet company of
the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Spendiarov,
as well as the quartet after Aram Khachaturyan. Moreover, a photo show
"Armenian monuments" of Zaven Sarkisyan and exhibition of works of
an artist- designer Arev Petrosyan will be held within the frames of
the Seasons.

To recall, Seasons of Georgian Culture were held in Yerevan in 2009.

ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADE DOES NOT AGREE WITH ILHAM ALIYEV

ArmInfo
2010-04-26 11:37:00

ArmInfo. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not only a problem of only
two nations, it must be solved within inter-ethnic and interreligious
dialogue, chairman of the Clerical Office of Caucasus Muslims,
Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade said, Day.az reports.

"We, as religious leaders of the CIS countries, should create an
environment, where people will be brought together and will not harm
each other" – Pashazade said on Sunday in Baku at the opening of the
summit of the CIS Inter-religious Council. To recall, Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II also takes part in summit of the CIS
Inter-religious Council. "Religious leaders can’t remain indifferent
to the problems existing in our countries", Pashazade said.

Pashazade expressed his support for the position of Patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia Kirill, who said in Yerevan that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict can only be resolved peacefully. He said the rich experience
of the church can be applied in relations between peoples. "All
these nations [the CIS] need to try to deepen the cultural dialogue,
religious diversity. Religious leaders [CIS] should contribute to
fighting separatism and aggression. Over the years of existence the
Interreligious Council of Religious Leaders of the CIS strengthened
the cultural ties between peoples, as well as allowed entering new
stage of relations between nations", Pashazade said.

Pashazade said that by adjusting the CIS peoples on tolerance, the
Council was able to deepen inter-ethnic solidarity, intercultural
dialogue by means of mutual efforts, thus preserving the spiritual
solidarity of the community in multi-religious space of the CIS. To
also recall, the foregoing peaceful statements strongly conflict with
permanent threats by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to solve the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in a military way.

Xinhua General News Service, CHina
April 24, 2010 Saturday 5:55 PM EST

Turks commemorate Armenian victims

ISTANBUL April 24

About 1,000 Turks gathered in Istanbul’s central Taksim square on
Saturday to commemorate Armenian victims of the violence in 1915.

The campaign, titled "This pain is for all of us," was the first
public one by Turks in recognition of the pain suffered by Armenians
in 1915.

Armenians claim the violence committed by Ottoman Turks against
Armenian people in 1915 was genocide, a charge Turkey strongly
rejects, saying the events were civil strife in wartime claiming the
lives of many Turks and Armenians.

Every year on April 24 Armenians commemorate the event of 1915, but
this year, for the first time, nearly 1,000 Turks gathered in Taksim
square for a candle-light vigil for Armenian suffering.

Organizer Cengiz Algun told Xinhua that the vigil was "to show that
our Armenian siblings are also children of this land."

"We are very pleased with how the event turned out, it was much better
than we expected," he added.

Police presence was prominent at the vigil, with officers forming a
solid wall around the people to prevent any violence.

ANC ISSUES STATEMENT ON RA PRESIDENT’S DECISION

news.am
April 23 2010
Armenia

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) has issued a statement on
President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision on freezing the Armenian-Turkish
peace deal.

"The Congress is for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
but does not accept Turkey’s demand &’to set up a historians’
commission in order to study the events of April 24, 1915.

‘The formation of the commission not only questions the Armenian
Genocide but also spoils Armenian-Turkish relations instead of
promoting the reconciliation process.

&’By signing the disgraceful protocols in Zurich, the administration
of Serzh Sargsyan pursued one objective — to seek support for the
illegitimate regime coming to power through rigged presidential
elections and the massacre of March 1, 2008.

‘The warning of the Armenian National Congress against that hazardous
process came true. Contrary to the uttered goals, the Armenian-Turkish
peace process turned into an Armenian-Turkish confrontation.

&’Taking advantage of Armenian regime’s inability, Turkey consistently
continued linking the ratification of the Protocols and the opening
of the border with the settlement of the Karabakh conflict

‘The international pressure in view of the Karabakh issue did not
decrease, rather, it increased to such an extent that Armenia, for
the first time in its history, had to restrict Karabakh’s rights to
self-determination within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity /OSCE
announcement made in Athens/

&’Linking Armenian-Turkish rapprochement with the Karabakh conflict
resolution, Turkey managed to take a key role, though a dangerous one
for Armenia, in the talks over Karabakh at the same time endangering
the optimal format of the negotiations -the OSCE Minsk group.

‘President Serzh Sargsyan, entangled in a spider’s web of his own
&’initiative-taking’ policy, is no more capable of neutralizing the
damages of his own policy.

&’Suspending the peace deal and at the same time pledging not to
walk away from the process, the regime has appeared at a deadlock in
attempts to save its image in the international community.

‘In the result of wrong political calculations, the regime, assuming
contradictory commitments, smears Armenia’s image as a reliable
partner in the international domain."

VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE COMMEMORATED IN ISTANBUL SQUARE

Panorama.am
24/04/2010

According to CNNTurk, April 24, Commemoration Day of innocent victims
of the Armenian Genocide, will be marked in Taksim square of Istanbul,
Turkey. Intellectuals are expected to get together to condemn the
1915 tragedy.

The commemoration event will get underway at 7pm Turkey time (GMT+2).

According to the source, over 60 political figures, scientists,
writers, artists are due to participate in the event.

They will lay flowers and light candles to commemorate the victims
with 30-minute silence. The initiation is held under "This is Our
Pain. This is a Mourning for All of Us" slogan.

According to the source, Turkish intellectuals Ahmet Insel, Ali
Bayramoglu, Baskin Oran, Ipek Calislar, Lale Mansur and others have
signed the address to inform about the event. Two years ago they had
initiated the online signature petition on apologizing from Armenia.

FRANCE URGING TO CONTINUE ARMENIA-TURKEY DIALOGUE

Tert.am
23.04.10

French presidential office has responded a move by Armenian President
Serge Sargsyan and the parliamentary ruling coalition to suspend the
ratification of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

"The French President got familiar with the statement by the President
of the Republic of Armenia, Serge Sargsyan, over the process of
establishing diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and
opening the border," reads the statement.

Further it says that French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomes
Sargsyan’s decision by which he reaffirms his commitment in favor of
the Armenia-Turkey normalization despite the difficulties the two
sides faced while in the process of ratifying the Protocols signed
on October 10, 2009 in Zurich.

"France is urging on Armenian and Turkish authorities to continue
the dialogue and double the efforts so that to quickly reach the
implementation of the above-mentioned Protocols which will bring a
significant contribution to peace and stability in the region."

TURKEY HAS NOT CALCULATED THE IMPACT FACTOR OF AZERBAIJAN.

AllVoices
ntributed-news/5661659-turkey-has-not-calculated-t he-impact-factor-of-azerbaijan
April 22 2010

"Prosperous Armenia" Party stands for normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations without concessions from Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh
and the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, said in
Yerevan today Khachik Galstyan, spokesman for the leader of the PAP
Gagik Tsarukyan.

Speaking at the press club "Reliance", he welcomed the outcome of the
Washington meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan. Khachik Galstyan
noted that the negotiations, in fact, been proactive in the light of
Armenia’s foreign policy. According to him, the head of state has
followed a consistent foreign policy that helps to strengthen the
country’s position in the international arena.

"In the process of normalizing relations with Armenia, Turkey
miscalculated the impact of the Azerbaijani factor, resulting in
Ankara, Baku and now were in time trouble," said Spokesperson. He
stressed that all attempts of the Turkish prime minister "on the
nomination to Armenia unrealistic demands to produce the desired
dividends are doomed to failure."

Khachik Galstyan did not disclose any details held on the eve of
the president and representatives of the ruling political coalition,
which includes the Prosperous Armenia Party. Spokesperson urged to
wait for the President’s address to the nation of Armenia, noting
that the possible suspension of the ratification process of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols and their feedback is considered in the
PAP as a normal course.

Referring to the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, a
spokesman for the leader of PAP said that only if Azerbaijan recognizes
the political realities – the de facto independence of Nagorno-Karabakh
is possible breakthrough in the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL BE COMMEMORATED SATURDAY
PASADENA, CA

States News Service
April 21, 2010 Wednesday

The following information was released by the city of Pasadena:

The 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will be commemorated
Saturday, April 24, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in front of Pasadena City
Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.

In addition to performances by singers and musicians of Armenian
descent, remarks will be made by elected officials and representatives
of Pasadena’s Armenian community. Following the ceremony, refreshments
will be served in the courtyard. The event is co-sponsored by the
city of Pasadena and several Armenian organizations.

Pasadena is home to a sizable Armenian community including residents,
churches, businesses and organizations.