Author: Nahapetian Boris

Clarin, Argentina
Viernes | 06.05.2005

ROCES DIPLOMATICOS

Turquía condena una moción del Senado argentino

Denunció y rechazó una declaración legislativa argentina que reconoce
como “genocidio” la matanza de armenios en 1915.

El ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Turquía denunció la moción
que adoptó el mes pasado el Senado argentino que reconoce como un
“genocidio” las matanzas de armenios cometidas en 1915.

“Denunciamos y rechazamos la acusación de genocidio formulada el 20
de abril por el senado argentino”, dice un comunicado del Ministerio
de Relaciones Exteriores de Ankara.

El escrito denuncia que “a pesar de las explicaciones (turcas) al más
alto nivel respecto a problemas que puede suscitar dicha resolución
(…)el senado argentino se comprometió en un acto irresponsable
adoptando un texto abundante en errores históricos”, y destaca que
recientemente Turquía propuso a Armenia la creación de una comisión
conjunta para investigar la matanza de los armenios.

Los armenios afirman que 1.500.000 de sus compatriotas perecieron en
las matanzas organizadas por el imperio otomano, al que sucedió la
República turca. Ankara afirma que 300.000 armenios y por lo menos
otros tantos turcos fueron muertos durante incidentes provocados por
la revuelta de los armenios, que hicieron causa común con el ejército
ruso en guerra contra el imperio otomano, y durante la deportación
hacia la provincia otomana de Siria, consecutiva a este sedición.

–Boundary_(ID_67QzMhNhmEeIYtgHcYiy5A)–

Turkey condemns Argentine senate over Armenian genocide recognition

Anatolia news agency
5 May 05

Ankara, 5 May: Turkish MFA condemned the Argentinean Senate which
accused Turkey for committing genocide against the Armenians between
1915 and 1923. A statement by the MFA said Argentinean authorities were
earlier explained that such an initiative would be a mistake and many
times were conveyed the drawbacks which this initiative may lead to.

The statement said, “it is obvious that the attitude of the Argentinean
Senate is politically motivated and adopting such a statement which
lacks historical truth and full of mistakes, was an irresponsible act.”

The statement said Turkey, a while ago, proposed the formation of a
Turkish-Armenian joint committee to investigate the incidents which
had occurred in the past, noting that the letter of Armenian Head of
State Robert Kocharyan was being assessed comprehensively and under
a positive point of view.

US VICE-PRESIDENT TO SEND LETTER TO GENOCIDE SURVIVOR
By A. H.

AZG Armenian Daily #083, 07/05/2005

Armenian Genocide

According to Armenian Mirror Spectator weekly, US vice-president
Dick Chaney sent a letter dated April 22 to Genocide survivor Mertiza
Ohanesian where he recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Chaney wrote that he joins the congratulations on Mrs. Ohanesian’s
100th anniversary and emphasized that she is the oldest Genocide
survivor.

“We commemorate those dreadful events every spring and honor the
memory of victims”, the US vice-president wrote.

7,000 people killed in biggest shipwreck of WWII

Pravda.RU
05/05/2005 17:51

Only eight passengers of the sanitary boat survived the attack of
Nazi aviation in 1941

Ukrainian scientists have recently discovered new details connected
with the sanitary boat Armenia, which sank in November of 1941 in
the Black Sea and became the largest shipwreck during WWII.

A German torpedo-bomber plane attacked the Armenia on November 7th,
1941. The ship sank in only four minutes, killing about 7,000 not
5,000 passengers as it was believed before. The passengers were
mainly wounded servicemen, Ukrainian archaeologist Sergei Voronov
said. “There were about 2,000 unregistered passengers on board the
ship. Most likely, they boarded the boat at doctors’ request,” the
scientist said. “Only eight people survived the shipwreck – a rescue
boat, which escorted the Armenia, saved those people,” Voronov added.

The sunken boat is resting at the depth of 472 meters. Researchers
are going to organize a special underwater mission to the boat at
the end of May. It is noteworthy that it was very hard to locate the
underwater location of the sunken ship-hospital. Armenia’s radio
operator and the pilot of the German plane transmitted different
position data about the site of the sea, where the boat sank.

A German bomber plane attacked the boat with torpedoes at the distance
of 25 miles off the Crimean Peninsula. The Armenia was a double-decker
passenger and cargo ship.

Anastacia Popova was one of the few passengers, who were lucky to
survive the terrible shipwreck. “It was really hard for me to evacuate
from the city of Yalta. The Armenia was packed with wounded patients
and refugees. When the German aviation attacked the boat and it
started sinking, it was more than just a hellish experience. People
were rushing about the deck, trying to save their lives. I jumped
overboard and swam towards the shore. I was very weak and hardly had
any energy. I do not even remember how I found myself on the seashore,”
Anastacia recollects.

Another person witnessed the tragedy from the shore: “Hardly had the
boat reached the open sea, when a group of German planes attacked
it. It goes without saying that Nazi pilots could see big red crosses
on the ship. Nevertheless, they started bombing the vessel. We could
hear both bomb explosions and people’s screaming,” the eyewitness said.

It is noteworthy that the ship was marked with red crosses not only
on its sides, but on the deck too. The German pilots ignored the
signs. The bombs split the ship into two and it went straight to
the bottom of the sea. Local war veterans lay wreaths on the water
surface around the area of the terrible shipwreck every year on May
9th, to honor 7,000 people, who died in the tragedy.

Turkish, Armenian leaders could meet, but nothing planned, minister says

AP Worldstream
May 05, 2005

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Thursday left open the
possibility that leaders from Armenia and Turkey could meet, but said
nothing concrete was planned, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Asked about Turkish press reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian could meet
during May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow or at a Council of
Europe summit scheduled for May 15-16 in Warsaw, Gul said: “It could
be, but nothing is planned,” Anatolia reported.

Gul, speaking to reporters before flying to Kyrgyzstan, said that
ministers from Armenia and Turkey have met in the past although the
two neighbors do not have diplomatic relations, Anatolia said.

Turkey and Armenia disagree over the mass killings of Armenians at
the time of World War I that Armenians say was genocide.

Armenians say some 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a deliberate
genocidal campaign by Ottoman Empire authorities.

But Turkey says Armenia inflates the death toll and says the Armenians
were killed or displaced in civil unrest during the collapse of
the empire.

Erdogan has said Turkey might establish political ties if Armenia
agreed to set up a joint commission to investigate the killings.
Armenia says it is ready to re-establish relations with Ankara,
but without any preconditions.

The issue has gained new urgency as Turkey seeks membership in the
European Union.

ARMENIA MEETING COMMITMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULE

Pan Armenian News
04.05.2005 06:38

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdasarian
met with Permanent Representative of Belgium to the OSCE Bertran de
Crumbrugge, RA NA press service reported. Head of the OSCE Mission
to Armenia, Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin was present at the meeting
as well. During the meeting Artur Baghdasarian informed the guest
of the reforms carried out in Armenia. The parties pointed out to
the fact that Armenia is meeting its commitments in accordance with
the schedule: the RA parliament proceeded to the discussions of the
constitutional reforms and agreement on the Election Code has been
already achieved. They also discussed issues referring to struggle
against corruption and investigations carried out by the RA National
Assembly Control Chamber. Within the framework of regional cooperation
the interlocutors highlighted Armenia’s participation in the regional
economic programs and establishment of normal relations with the
neighbor states. As a mechanism of regional problems resolution they
marked the conversion of the South Caucasian Parliamentary Initiative
into a Parliamentary Assembly, which will offer the three states the
possibility of discussing political and economic issues. Bertran de
Crumbrugge, as a representative of the state to preside in the OSCE
in 2006, expressed readiness to contribute to the implementation of
these programs.

FORESTS NEED PROTECTION

A1plus
| 14:45:11 | 04-05-2005 | Official |

Today Robert Kocharyan has had a working meeting with the Ministry
of agriculture David Loqyan. Issues about the state of the rural
economy, the anticipated harvest and the organization of its storage
have been discussed.

A reference has also been made to the course of the program which is
to start in the 100 villages near the border. With this program the
villages will receive financial aid to solve the primary problems
of their economic development. The Ministry of agriculture has also
represented the course of the works of forest planting.

The idea of creating a Forest Protection Service has also been
discussed.

Pan Armenian News

ZARDUSHT ALIZADE: WEST SEES THAT AZERBAIJAN DOES NOT NEED KARABAKH

02.05.2005 04:27

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When commenting on the absence of Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian from the meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs in Frankfurt Azeri political scientist Zardusht Alizade
noted that any sane person would act like the Armenian FM did,
Yerkir Online reports. In his words, “Armenians set an objective
to seize Nagorno Karabakh and they did it”. “During these years our
state failed to form an efficient army and this fact does good for
Armenia. Now Azerbaijan asks to return what was seized during the
war”, Zardusht Alizade said. In his words, in order to win the war
Azerbaijan has to form a strong army, launch a wide propaganda and
convince Armenians that natural and safe existence will be secured. He
also noted that at present the international community gets accustomed
to perceiving Nagorno Karabakh beyond Azerbaijan’s borders. “The West
sees that as a matter of fact Azerbaijan does not Nagorno Karabakh,
this land is essential for those, who fought for it and controls it
now. This is enough for the West”, the political scientist stressed.

ARMENIAN PREMIER DEPARTING FOR BELARUS TODAY

Pan Armenian News
02.05.2005 02:35

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian delegation headed by Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian will pay a formal visit to Belarus May 2-4, RA government
press service reported. Minister of Economy and Finance Vardan
Khachatrian, Minister of Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamian,
Minister of Trade and Economic Development Karen Chshmaritian,
Minister of Health Norayr Davidian, Head of Regional Administration
Alik Sargsian, RA NA deputies and representatives of the Armenian
business circles will serve on the delegation. Within the frames of the
visit Andranik Margarian is to meet with Belarusian President Alexander
Lukashenko and Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky. Visits of the Belaz
and MAZ manufacturing firms are also scheduled. The Armenian Premier
will take part in the work of the Armenian-Belarusian business forum
and in the opening ceremony of an exhibition of Armenian commodities,
will visit the Victory Square and meet with the representatives of
the Armenian community. Besides, Days of Armenian Television will be
held and a number of documents will be signed within the frames of
the visit. The delegation is to return to Yerevan May 4.

Patriot-News, PA
May 1 2005

Vartan auction has deals, nostalgia
Supply company’s remnants liquidated

BY LES POWELL
Of The Patriot-News
Like everything else about John Vartan, this was big.

A liquidation auction took place yesterday at the Vartan Supply Co.
facility on Linglestown Road in Susquehanna Twp., where countless
items were up for bid from the business empire of the entrepreneur
and philanthropist, who died in December at 59.

Four auctioneers fielded bids on an inventory including lumber,
woodworking machinery, hardware, tools, paint, trucks, cars,
forklifts, a crane, shelving, office furnishings and restaurant
items.

The latter included 500 pieces of china, glassware, stainless steel
pans, chairs and tables from Vartan’s Parev restaurant in the former
Tuesday Club in Harrisburg.

Hundreds of prospective buyers’ vehicles were parked behind the
lumber warehouse, while others lined both sides of Linglestown Road
for several blocks.

“This is some auction,” said Dick Finley of Duncannon, who bought
clear wood preservative.

“An unbelievable amount of items,” said Joel Gavalett of Pottsville,
who was looking at trucks and garage equipment. “The prices are very
strong today.”

The Vartan Group started selling noncore properties and getting out
of some businesses after Vartan died.

In March, a Gettysburg construction company bought the 11-employee
Vartan Studios woodworking mill in Susquehanna Twp.

Ten other properties, including the one on Seventh and Maclay streets
with bushes that spell “Vartan,” are being sold.

The company decided to sell the mill and the supply company because
they are ancillary to its main interests, which include a
construction company, a property-management company and Vartan
National Bank. A plant that makes concrete products continues to
operate.

Vartan’s building projects included Forum Place in Harrisburg and an
office building at Third and Walnut streets. Projects he touted but
never built included, most famously, Vartan Village, a planned
housing development in uptown Harrisburg.

One of his most recent novelties stands in front of the site of
yesterday’s auction — a clock that runs backward.

The clock symbolized Vartan’s move from a refugee camp to democracy,
a company spokeswoman said. Vartan emigrated to this country from
Lebanon, where he had grown up in a camp for Armenian refugees.

But the clock and Vartan’s rags-to-riches life weren’t yesterday’s
draw. The attraction was finding a good deal.

Kim Schlissel, who owns a Schuylkill Haven home-decor business, said
she was looking for “office furniture — a couple desks, shelving
units.”

Others came to buy lumber, paint, electrical fixtures and other home
products.

Jerry Miller of Harrisburg was looking at a power nailer. “It’s for
nailing hardwood floors,” he said. “I install, sand and finish them.”

For Scott Knamm of Lebanon, the auction offered nostalgia. “I’m just
here to relive some memories,” he said.