Author: Tadevosian Garnik

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE
April 29, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS MARK 90TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN FLOOR SPEECHES

WASHINGTON, DC – Over forty Senators and Representatives joined
Armenians around the world this week in commemorating the 90th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, during “Special Order”
remarks on the House floor and statements in the Senate made in the
weeks surrounding April 24th, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
organized the April 26th House commemoration, providing
Representatives with an opportunity to offer 5-minute statements in
remembrance of the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Turkish
Government from 1915-1923. Senators and House Members also
submitted additional statements in the days surrounding April 24th.

“We want to extend our appreciation to Congressman Pallone for his
leadership once again this year in hosting the Armenian Genocide
Special Order on the House side,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. “We thank, as well, the many Representatives and
Senators who offered remarks and attended commemorations – here in
Washington and around the nation.”

During their statements, many Senators and Representatives spoke
forcefully about the importance of ending U.S. complicity in
Turkey’s continued campaign of Genocide denial, pledging their
support for legislation that will come before Congress on this
subject. Several called for immediate U.S. and international
action to end the genocide currently taking place in Darfur, noting
that Turkey’s ability to commit genocide with impunity has set a
dangerous precedent for worldwide genocide prevention efforts.

Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman noted, “As we speak, the
Sudanese Government is taking a page out of the Turkish
Government’s denial playbook and continuing the vicious cycle of
genocide denial in what is happening in Darfur. If we are ever to
live in a world where crimes do not go unpunished and fundamental
human rights are respected and preserved, we must come to recognize
the Armenian Genocide, thus allowing for proper reparations and
restitutions to be made.”

Excerpts from the Senate and House floor speeches follow.

=====================================
U.S. Senators (in Alphabetical Order)
=====================================
Sen. Lincoln Chafee (D-RI): Mr. President, yesterday marked the
90th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. A date
of great significance for many Rhode Islanders, and growing in
significance for all Americans, this day not only commemorates the
atrocities of the past, but also reminds us that it must not happen
again. Remembering the victims is our duty to the past and to the
future.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI): As we move forward, we must learn the
lessons of Armenia’s genocide. We cannot be misled by the
rhetorical veils of murderous leaders, thrown up to disguise the
agenda at hand. We cannot respond to evidence of methodical, brutal
violence by wringing our hands and waiting for some definitive
proof that these events qualify as genocide. Enforcing a
collective, international commitment to prevent and stop genocides
from occurring is imperative. We owe the victims of the Armenian
genocide this commitment.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): I am proud that the Armenian
American community in my home State of California – over 500,000
strong – has taken such a leadership role in ensuring that the U.S.
lives up to its values by acknowledging the crimes of the past and
taking action against the crimes of the present and future. Their
determination and perseverance is a testament to the human spirit
and the ability to overcome injustice and build a better tomorrow.

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI): Affirming the truth about the Armenian
genocide has become an issue of international significance. The
recurrence of genocide in the twentieth century has made the
recognition of the criminal mistreatment of the Armenians by Turkey
all the more a compelling obligation for the international
community. It is a testament to the perseverance and determination
of the Armenian people that they were able to overcome one of the
most egregious acts in history. I support this important annual
commemoration of a horrible chapter of history so that it is never
repeated again. Congress should continue to show support for
Armenia and their struggle to set the historical record straight on
this tragedy.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): I urge my colleagues to honor the memory
of the 1.5 million Armenian genocide victims by recognizing that
there are still those in the world who will stop at nothing to
perpetuate campaigns of hate, intolerance, and unthinkable
violence. We must do all we can to stop atrocities, like those in
the Darfur region of Sudan, from occurring as well as continue to
provide adequate recovery aid to survivors. In doing so, we will
truly honor the memory of genocide victims and fulfill our
responsibilities as a world leader.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI): Today, dozens of Armenian soldiers are
deployed to Iraq, carrying out humanitarian operations in Karbala
and al-Hilla, working as truck drivers, bomb detonators, and
doctors. Armenian soldiers are also serving in Kosovo, performing
peace support operations. I believe their response of helping
others in need is part of the healing process. These Armenians did
not allow others to be left as helpless as they were generations
ago. As a Nation, we must respond to acts of oppression to ensure
that victims of hatred and prejudice did not perish in vain. We
must stand as witnesses to protect people from persecution for the
simple reason they are different. Thus, we must be committed to
properly remembering the Armenian Genocide.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): But we must never forget the painful
lessons learned from the Armenian Genocide. This week, events
around my State and the Nation will recognize this important
anniversary. I am grateful for the strong and active work of the
Armenian-American community in Las Vegas, who will hold their
annual commemoration on April 24. To the Armenian American Cultural
Society of Las Vegas and to the work of Mr. John Dadaian, I say
thank you for all that you have done for the people of Nevada, and
Armenia.

Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD): We have a national interest in seeking
that our foreign policy is grounded in the same principles on which
this Nation was founded, a respect for the truth, the rule of law,
and democratic institutions. Clearly, this was in part the
administration’s motivation for its recognition last fall of the
genocide in Darfur. In his testimony before the Foreign Relations
Committee on September 9, Secretary Powell declared that “the
evidence corroborates the specific intent of the perpetrators to
destroy ‘a group in whole or in part.'” This begs the question: if
Darfur, why not Armenia? Did the Ottomans not seek to destroy the
Armenians to this same extent?

==============================================
U.S. Representatives (in alphabetical order)
=========================================== ===
Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ): Only by explicitly defining genocide
and ensuring that all cases of genocide throughout history are
appropriately identified can we effectively deter this crime.
Particularly at this time of heightened vigilance around the world,
it is absolutely imperative that America take a strong stance
against the most troubling of all terrorist acts, mass killings.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA): Mr. Speaker, woven deeply into the
fabric of our culture, Americans stand for freedom and basic human
rights for all. Let us further demonstrate our deep conviction for
the ideals we hold dear in our resolute opposition to crimes
against humanity and officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA): Sadly, we cannot say humanity has
progressed to the point where genocide has become unthinkable. We
have only to recall the “killing fields” of Cambodia, mass killings
in Rwanda, “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia and Kosovo, and most
recently, the unspeakable horrors in Darfur, Sudan to see that the
threat of genocide persists. We must renew our commitment never to
remain indifferent in the face of such assaults on innocent human
beings.

Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-NH): While the U.S. record on the Armenian
genocide is the most expansive in the detail of its coverage of the
events of 1915 to 1918, the official records of many other
countries, Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and
Russia corroborate the evidence gathered by U.S. diplomats.
Therefore, it is important for our government to reaffirm its own
record on the Armenian genocide and to assure that the relevant
historical records are preserved. By keeping memories alive through
history, we will prevent other instances of inhumanity from
occurring.

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA): Mr. Speaker, April 24th marks the
anniversary of one of the most horrible tragedies of the 20th
century, the genocide that was committed against the Armenian
people by the Ottoman Empire. Over one million people were forced
into exile and lost their lives during this horrible tragedy that
befell the Armenian people in 1915.

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI): Now more than ever as the world is
gripped by unrest and terrorism, the memory of the Genocide
underscores our responsibility to help convey our cherished
tradition of respect for fundamental human rights and opposition to
mass slaughter. We owe it to the victims of the Genocide to
acknowledge what happened and to teach our students and children
about their suffering, so that we can fulfill our obligation to
ensure that genocide will never happen again. Our future generation
should be able to say, “I learned, I acknowledge, and I will work
to prevent it from happening again.”

Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA): As a Nation that values the freedom of
speech and assembly, we must admit that this event occurred, and
force Turkey to do likewise. Additionally, we must ask the EU to
refuse Turkey’s application to join the EU until Turkey accepts
their role in the genocide against the Armenian people.

Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL): The history of the Armenian Genocide
must never be forgotten. As Members of Congress and people of
conscience, we must work to overcome the indifference and
distortions of history, and ensure that future generations know
what happened.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY): In 2003, I had the opportunity to visit
Armenia and to plant a tree at the Genocide memorial. The
independent country of Armenia is a living testament to honor the
memories of the survivors. I believe that by failing to recognize
these barbaric acts, one becomes complicit in them. Let us never
forget the 1.5 million Armenians who perished in 1915 and 1916.

Rep. Elliot Engel (D-NY): On this important anniversary, it is a
lasting lesson to people everywhere that genocide must not only be
opposed by all nations, but that it must be universally recognized
as a crime against humanity–no matter where it occurs or against
whom it is carried out.

Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL): I also urge the government of Turkey to:
decriminalize speech within Turkey, destroy all monuments, museums
and public references to the specious notion that the Armenian
minority committed genocide against the majority Turks, end denial
within Turkey, specifically within textbooks and reference books,
officially condemn any attacks against all Turks that acknowledge
the facts of history, and end the global campaign of threats
against any nation that is in the process of affirming the Armenian
Genocide.

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ): The United States must never allow
crimes against humanity to pass without remembrance and
condemnation. As U.S. efforts to aid victims of genocide continue,
it is imperative that we pay tribute to the memory of others who
have suffered and to never forget the past.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY): Many attempts have also been made by
the U.S. Congress to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.
These attempts, however, have been scuttled by successive
administrations for fear of disrupting our strategic relationship
with Turkey. While I certainly value Turkey’s friendship, as a
world leader, the U.S. must officially acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide. Not doing so sets an extremely poor example for the rest
of the world and denies the victims of this horrific tragedy the
proper reverence they deserve.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA): It is vital that we remember this dark
period in history. Losing the memory of this tragic event would
only perpetuate the injustice. For too long, the Armenian Genocide,
the first genocide of the 20th Century, has been denied the
recognition that it properly deserves. As human beings, we all have
a responsibility to keep events such as the Armenian Genocide at
the forefront of our collective historical memory. We cannot begin
to overcome the challenges of the future until we acknowledge our
past mistakes.

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL): This anniversary serves as a reminder of
the horrible campaigns of genocide that occurred in the past, from
the Holocaust, to Rwanda, to today’s atrocities in Darfur, Sudan.
We must uphold our duties as global defenders of human rights and
give the Armenian community, as the victims of the 20th Century’s
first genocide, the recognition they deserve.

Rep. James Langevin (D-RI): As Americans, we must guarantee that
our foreign policy reflects our values of justice, equality and
responsibility. These values should apply in all of our
international interactions, including those with Turkey, a NATO
ally. Turkey wishes to increase its global profile through
accession to organizations such as the European Union. However, if
Turkey wishes to gain the world’s respect, it must earn it. It must
demonstrate its commitment to peace and democracy in the region. It
must reopen its borders, end its blockade of Armenia, and encourage
Azerbaijan to end its aggressive rhetoric. And most importantly, it
must accept responsibility for past injustices through an
unconditional recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Only then can
Turkey begin to come to terms with its history. Only then can
Armenians seek justice from the Turkish government for the losses
of so much and so many.

Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI): Mr. Speaker, 90 years is far, far too
long for a people to wait for an acknowledgment of the crimes
committed against them. That is why I am proud to support the
resolution that will be introduced in the coming days remembering
the victims and honoring the survivors of the Armenian Genocide.
This resolution will appropriately recognize these acts for what
they were. Only with a common understanding of this dark period can
we move forward and work to prevent similar tragedies in the
future.

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY): I want to join my colleagues in renewing
our pledge to the Armenian nation to ensure that Armenians around
the world can live free of threats to their existence and
prosperity. Azerbaijan continues to blockade Armenia and Nagorno-
Karabagh, denying the Armenian people the food, medicine, and other
humanitarian assistance they need to lead secure lives. A key
component of this pledge is maintaining high levels of assistance
to Armenia. As Ranking Member of the House Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee, I will fight to maintain funding for
Armenia, which recently became eligible for special Millennium
Challenge Account funds.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA): It is my firm belief that it is only by
learning from and commemorating the past can we work toward a
future free from racial, ethnic, and religious hate. By
acknowledging the Armenian genocide and speaking out against the
principles by which it was conducted, we can send a clear message:
never again.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): The parliaments of Canada, France and
Switzerland have all passed resolutions affirming that the Armenian
people were indeed subjected to genocide. The United States must do
the same. I will not stop fighting until long overdue legislation
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide finally passes.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA): The writer Milan Kundera once wrote that
“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory
against forgetting.” There are those that would deny the Armenian
Genocide, just as there are those that deny the reality of the Nazi
Holocaust. In commemorating the Armenian Genocide, as we do this
evening, we all collectively engage in that struggle of memory
against forgetting. But we do this not only to remember the past,
but to animate the future with a commitment to prevent such things
from ever happening again, and to strive towards making a better
future for the Armenian people, a people who have suffered so much.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA): But I feel more privileged to have
worked with the Armenian community in Worcester to educate the
community, and especially young people and college students, about
not only the Armenian Genocide, but about other contemporary and
even current genocides that are taking place around the world. I am
especially grateful that I will be able to collaborate with them in
the future on events that will focus on the genocide in Darfur,
Sudan.

Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY): Mr. Speaker, I join today with many
of my colleagues in remembering the victims of the Armenian
Genocide. April 24th will be the 90th anniversary of this human
tragedy. From 1915 to 1923, the world witnessed the first genocide
of the 20th Century. This was clearly one of the world’s greatest
tragedies–the deliberate and systematic Ottoman annihilation of
1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children.

Rep. Martin Meehan (D-MA): The April 24th remembrance of the
Armenian Genocide is also a reminder of the responsibility of all
nations to stop these human tragedies from reoccurring. Today, a
genocide is taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. It has
resulted in the murders of at least 70,000 innocent civilians, the
internal displacement of 1.9 million, and the forced exile of
200,000. The international community must act now before Darfur
reaches the scale of the Armenian Genocide.

Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ): In my view, all Americans must recognize
that the atrocities committed from 1915 to 1923 constitute
genocide. We do not use that word lightly. But the word, itself,
makes a powerful statement about the horrors suffered by the
Armenian people. As Samantha Powers, the leading expert on genocide
said in a letter to the editor of the New York Times, “The
extermination of Armenians is recognized as genocide by the
consensus of scholars of genocide and Holocaust worldwide. The
failure to acknowledge this trivializes a human rights crime of
enormous magnitude.” Today, the people of Armenia and her diaspora
are proudly seeking to rebuild their country.

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ): We know even now, history in the last
100 years has witnessed more horrible episodes since the Armenian
genocide. As we speak, the Sudanese Government is taking a page out
of the Turkish Government’s denial playbook and continuing the
vicious cycle of genocide denial in what is happening in Darfur. If
we are ever to live in a world where crimes do not go unpunished
and fundamental human rights are respected and preserved, we must
come to recognize the Armenian genocide, thus allowing for proper
reparations and restitutions to be made.

Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ): This anniversary also provides us with
an opportunity to pledge that such a slaughter should never take
place again. I am sickened and dismayed by the atrocities that we
continue to see today in the Sudan, as well as others that we have
seen in the 20th century, such as the Holocaust and the ethnic
cleansing campaigns in Cambodia, Kosovo and Rwanda. All of these
events should be recognized for what they are: Genocide.

Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA): As a proud member of the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues and an ardent supporter of
Fresno’s Armenian -American community, I wish the people of Armenia
success in their efforts to bring about the lasting peace and
prosperity that they deserve. I pledge to continue my ongoing
efforts to sponsor initiatives that would build on our record
towards an inevitable, full and irrevocable U.S. affirmation of the
Armenian Genocide.

Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI): Today, I join my colleagues from the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in calling upon the
administration and the government of Turkey to formally recognize
the Armenian genocide. Its time has come.

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL): Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and to place in the record a
portion of an opinion article written by Lee Enokian.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ): The record of man’s inhumanity to man is
awful enough to produce a feeling of resignation. But we must fight
that tendency. We must continue to remind the world of what
occurred in 1915 and keep calling on Turkey to own up. We must not
restrain ourselves from speaking of the Armenian Genocide. Along
with many of my colleagues, I urge President Bush to speak the
truth to Ankara, which needs to come to terms with its own past.

Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN): Modern Turkey has made Armenian Genocide
denial into an article of faith. Genocide denial is taught in
schools, and is supported by the government. Anyone who deviates
from the official line is considered a traitor. Indeed, the
government of Turkey works feverishly to prevent any government
from recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Recognition by the
legislative bodies of France, Italy, Switzerland, and Russia has
been met with harsh criticism from the Turkish government.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): We debated for months, as systematic
killings occurred in Darfur, about whether the actions there
constituted acts of genocide. That is why I rise today to voice my
disappointment at the administration’s continued lack of clarity
when referring to the genocide that occurred during the time of the
Ottoman Empire. Falling well short of a declaration, the President
referred to the tragedy in his April 24 statement as a “great
calamity.” Indeed, what occurred was a calamity of such dimensions
that the Armenian people are still dealing with its consequences
today. But genocide is more than calamity.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA): And, as we speak today, government-
supported Janjaweed militias continue their systematic destruction
of black Sudanese in Darfur. Thousands have been murdered, raped,
and starved to death, and over one million have been displaced from
their homes. The Armenian Genocide stands as a tragic precedent to
the brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing currently ravaging Darfur.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY): In these early years of the 21st
century, Armenians understand the War on Terror. It is a war they
have now been fighting for ninety years. A war the world community
still refuses to recognize. As we gather today to pay tribute, it
is time for the U.S. Congress to finally designate what we all know
to be a case of genocide. While tragically it may not be last, it
is time to correct the history in the minds of many and finally
declare the Armenian genocide the holocaust that it was.

PUBLISHED DIARY OF INTERIOR MINISTER OF OTTOMAN TURKEY TESTIFIES TO
MILLION DEPORTED ARMENIANS

YEREVAN, APRIL 27. ARMINFO. Turkish “Hyurriet” newspaper has published
a diary of Interior Minister at the Government of Young Turks of
Taleat-pasha.

According to the release, number of Armenians deported from Anatolia
totals 925.000, and Armenian orphans handed in charge of Moslems
numbers 6.858. Number of Armenian population of Ottoman empire – about
1,200.000 – is noted in Taleat’s diary, according to 1914 official
data. However, minister added that this number may be incomplete on
various reasons and offers to take as a base 1.5 mln people.

Historian Murad Bardakchi, who published the diary, in his comments
noted that the published figures may seem exaggerated to Turks.
“However, we should use this most refutable fact for the welfare of
our interests to refute much more excessive figures of historians
disputed us in Genocide issue”, Bardakchi writes. Besides, he called
Turkish historians not to assert that Turks had not murdered Armenians
and as if Armenians had murdered Turks. “One must throw away these
cheap comments and propaganda”, he thinks.

The diary, the fragments of which were published by “Hyurriet”, was
kept by Taleat’s wife, who handed over it her granddaughter then.

MONDAY, April 18, 2005

PRESS ReleASE
UCLA Armenian Graduate Students Association Graduate Students Association
c/o Armenian Graduate Students Association Kerckhoff Hall Room 316
308 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Contact: Haig Hovsepian
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

UCLA AGSA welcomes students to first law panel, connects with alumni

LOS ANGELES, CA – On Thursday, March 31st, the UCLA Armenian Graduate
Students Association welcomed UCLA alumni who discussed with current
students their career experiences. Both younger and older alumni from
across the Los Angeles area participated in the event as panelists as
well as audience members.

Remarking on the generous response from the alumni, UCLA School of Law
student and organizing committee member Veronica Kuiumdjian remarked, `I
was surprised at the large alumni turnout considering there are about on
average 3 Armenian law students in each UCLA class. It was inspiring to
see Armenian lawyers taking time out of their hectic schedules to speak
to and encourage the next wave of Armenian lawyers.’

During the panel and the following question and answer session a number of
the panelists touched upon the experiences during law school that had a
significant impact on where and what they were practicing today. They
spoke about the challenges they faced both as students and as
professionals. Panelists also touched upon the advantages and
disadvantages of their practices.

Serge Avakian, a panelist from Troy and Gould was impressed by his fellow
panelists. `They represented a wide cross section of legal practices.
It was very interesting to learn how different attorneys got their first
jobs or ended up with their present specialties.’

`This was definitely the first of what I hope will be a series of events
that brings our alumni together with the campus community,’ noted Haig
Hovsepian, the project director for the organizing committee. `The
overwhelming positive response from our alumni warrants it. I would like
to see them all have a chance to be featured panelists and I think the
students got a unique perspective from our panelists.’

This sentiment was echoed by Mr. Avakian. `I wish I had attended a
discussion like this one before I applied to law school, or while in law
school.’

———- Attached Photo ———-

Caption # 1: Members of the UCLA AGSA organizing committee (c) with
alumni. From left to right: Haig Hovsepian (c), Nora Marachelian (c),
Ovsanna Takvoryan, Lori Sinayan, Zareh Sinanyan, Serge Avakian, Vahe
Yacoubian, Varand Gourjian, Garo Hovannisian, Veronica Kuiumdjian (c),
Angela Parseghian (c).

Photo # 1 downloadable at:

Turkey, EU give assurances on Cyprus to clear way for entry talks in October

AP Worldstream
Apr 26, 2005

CONSTANT BRAND

The European Union and Turkey assured one another Tuesday that they
would live up to commitments on the divided island of Cyprus meant to
clear the way for Ankara to start entry talks with the EU later this
year.

EU and Turkish leaders met for a last round of talks before the
expected launch of EU entry negotiations Oct. 3, discussing penal code
reforms and the sensitive issue of expanding Ankara’s EU customs
agreement to include Cyprus.

Cyprus, divided since 1974 between the Turkish Cypriot north and Greek
Cypriot south, joined the EU last May. However, European nations, the
United States and others do not recognize the breakaway Turkish
Cypriot state in the north, and EU laws and benefits only apply to the
Greek Cypriot south.

On Tuesday, Turkey’s foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, demanded that the
EU carry out a long-delayed promise to offer economic deals and
financial aid to the north. “There are certain mutual expectations,”
Gul told reporters afterward.

The EU had promised to end its economic isolation of the north with a
trade facilitation agreement and aid worth A‚¬259 million (US$336
million) _ a reward for Turkish Cypriots’ approval of a U.N.-drafted
reunification plan in a referendum last year.

However, Greek Cypriots, who rejected the plan in a separate vote,
have blocked the aid, fearing the package could lead to de facto
recognition of the breakaway state.

Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn of Luxembourg, which currently holds
the EU presidency, told reporters he “issued an apology” on behalf of
the EU for not yet implementing the 2004 measures, which were drafted
before Cyprus joined the EU on May 1 last year.

“It is not yet possible to put them into practice,” Asselborn said,
but added that the EU “must do everything it can to implement them.”

Meanwhile, Gul assured the EU that Turkey “is ready to sign” a deal to
expand Ankara’s EU customs agreement to include Cyprus, a key
requirement to starting membership talks _ and the most sensitive
issue ahead of entry talks.

Many EU countries see the move as de facto recognition by Turkey of
the Greek Cypriot government.

However, Turkey and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn say the
protocol does not give such recognition, and is simply the extension
of a customs union offered to the 10 new member states _ including
Cyprus _ that joined last year.

Gul also added that Turkey stood ready to relaunch reunification talks
on Cyprus.

EU officials said Asselborn and Rehn went over a list of reforms
Turkey must implement before negotiations begin. Rehn said that while
progress on reforms has been “significant, it is essential now to keep
up the momentum.”

He mentioned that Turkey’s penal code reforms need to be put back on
track so they are implemented in time.

Gul said Turkey “was aware how important implementation is,” and said
his government would ensure that all EU demands are met on
time. “There should be no suspicion whatsoever,” he said.

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Monday it expects a “long
negotiating process,” and reiterated that France would bring up the
Armenian killings during World War I.

Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the killings of up to 1.5
million Armenians as part of a campaign to force them out of what is
now eastern Turkey.

France’s parliament also calls the killings “genocide” _ a term Ankara
has refused to use to describe the Armenian deaths. “We will pose this
question and we want a response” from Turkey on the issue, Barnier
said.

Gul said Tuesday that recognition of the killings as genocide “was an
issue of internal politics.” Earlier this month, Gul said his
government was calling on Armenia to jointly research the killings.

Armenians mark 90th anniversary of 1915 genocide

24.04.2005, 07.07

YEREVAN, April 24 (Itar-Tass) – The Armenians around the globe are
marking the 90th anniversary of the genocide of 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 on Sunday.

The carnage of the Armenian population was the first act of genocide
in the 20th century. Armenia is seeking international recognition of
the fact of genocide and its condemnation. It is one of the priorities
of Armenias foreign policy. Nearly 1.5 million people by the number of
genocide victims are expected to come to the memorial to the genocide
victims on Sunday.

Official delegations from dozens of countries have arrived in Yerevan
to take part in the commemorations. Georgy Boss, the vice-speaker of
the Russian State Duma, will represent Russia. Boss has handed over a
message of condolences of Russian State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov to
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Artur Bagdasaryan.

The Russian State Duma (parliaments lower house) on Friday passed a
statement by 310 votes.

In connection with the 90th anniversary of the genocide of the
Armenian people, one of the most tragic and ruthless events in the
history of the 20th century, the Russian State Duma is presenting
profound condolences to the brethren Armenian people, the Russian
deputies said.

The deputies fully condemn this act of genocide and believe that the
90th anniversary should be marked by the international community, the
document goes on to say.

Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II will hold an ecumenical service
for the souls of the genocide victims. The ceremony will be attended
by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Assyrian
Orthodox Church, the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox
Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church and the
Conference of European Churches.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
April 21 2005

ARMENIA: A SPRING AWAKENING?

First rumblings of the contest to be the next Armenian president.

By Susanna Petrosian in Yerevan

After a lull of a year, Armenia’s domestic politics are livening up
again. New opposition movements are being formed and the speaker of
parliament is showing signs of political ambition.

For the moment, though, these political stirrings – both by emerging
groups and established opposition parties – have largely left the
public unmoved.

According to Natalya Martirosian, coordinator of the Armenian office
of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, a new group calling itself Bekum,
or Breakthrough, could emerge as a potent force for change.

“The creation of Bekum is one of the potential steps towards change
in this country,” she told IWPR.

Bekum was set up by a number of non-government organisations, NGOs,
which want to see swifter progress towards a civil society.

At the beginning of April, another group called the National League
for Armenian Independence was formed, with the declared aim of
opposing any political decision that it believes poses a threat to
the country’s independence. The group pledged to use all
constitutional means to ensure that “passive social protest becomes
active”.

There has been a marked revival in the activity of mainstream
opposition parties, too. The opposition New Times and Republic Party
both held conferences recently, while the Justice bloc held a forum
at which there were calls for the resignation of the administration
of President Robert Kocharian.

Aram Karapetian, leader of the New Times party and an unsuccessful
candidate in the 2003 presidential election, believes that the
evolutionary approach is not working and the only way forward is the
kind of peaceful revolution that occurred in Georgia, Ukraine and
Kyrgyzstan.

“I am sure that we will succeed in uniting the dissatisfied masses,
pressure from which will force the government to step down. Victory
is inevitable,” said Karapetian.

The leader of the Republic Party, former prime minister Aram
Sarksian, voiced similar views, “In Armenia, we have reached a
situation where we need not just a change of power, but revolution.
Many people agree with this, and we need only to get together at a
certain time and place.

“A nationwide revolution will take place unexpectedly – and not one
window pane will be broken.”

Leaders of the nine-party parliamentary faction Justice are taking a
less radical position. They believe that the government can still be
removed by constitutional means, with the best option being to hold a
national referendum expressing no confidence in the president.

“We favour a calm and peaceful solution to events,” said Justice
faction secretary Viktor Dallakian.

For the moment, President Kocharian appears more secure than his
counterparts in other parts of the former Soviet Union. He is three
years away from the end of his second and final presidential term in
2008. To achieve the kind of national ballot it wants, the opposition
would have to get parliament – with its pro-government majority – to
agree amendments to the law governing referendums.

The opposition has been boycotting sessions of parliament for more
than a year. Despite this, opposition deputies make monthly
statements and are given a small amount of airtime once a week on
national television.

Pro-government politicians say the current opposition poses them no
threat.

“There will be no outside-inspired revolution in Armenia because,
unlike other former Soviet republics, Armenia cannot create problems
for the superpowers,” said Galust Saakian, leader of the Republican
Party of Armenia faction, a pro-government group (not to be confused
with the Republic party).

“Both the opposition and the government will be careful not to erase
15 years of statehood for the sake of satisfying the great powers and
other dubious forces,” said Prime Minister Andrannik Margarian
robustly.

Government supporters say Armenia lacks the same kind of problems
that made revolutions possible in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.
Moreover, they believe a prerequisite for this kind of revolution is
the catalyst provided by elections, which in Armenia’s case are more
than two years away.

“It’s highly unlikely that there’ll be a new scenario in Armenia,”
said Samvel Nikoyan, a pro-government member of parliament.

Kocharian was in confident mood when he spoke to students in Yerevan
on April 11, telling them, “I call on the opposition to stop worrying
about the fact that they are weak and have achieved nothing. They
have achieved nothing because the country and government is better.”

However, some observers reading the political runes in Armenia say
they see signs of nervousness at the top, and even the start of a
campaign to succeed Kocharian from inside the ruling elite.

At the end of March, Kocharian was invited to Paris by French
president Jacques Chirac. But for the first time in his seven-year
presidency, Kocharian declined an invitation to go abroad.

Although official sources cited a leg injury as the reason, the
opposition press wrote that the president had no health problems, so
there was speculation that the delay had a political rather than a
medical cause. The Armenian president finally left for France on
April 20.

His trip took place just as National Assembly speaker Artur
Bagdasarian – whose position makes him the second most senior
official in Armenia’s hierarchy – was making his presence felt.

Two weeks ago, an article written by Bagdasarian appeared in the
press, discussing the need to hold democratic presidential and
parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Many observers believe that Bagdasarian’s article is essentially a
pre-election political manifesto. “The revolution has already begun:
read Bagdasarian’s article carefully,” said opposition leader Aram
Sarkisian.

Bagdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir or Country of Law party has also been
courting other parties, including opposition groups.

Even some of Bagdasarian’s colleagues from the ruling coalition say
the speaker is beginning an election campaign. “He has turned
parliament into an election headquarters,” said Galust Saakian.

Bagdasarian recently made a high-profile trip to Moscow, where he
discussed economic matters with Russia’s minister of transport and
the co-chairman of the Armenia-Russia intergovernmental commission,
even though these issues are the business of the government rather
than parliament.

With Kocharian’s return from France, political commentators are
waiting for the next episode in this slowly evolving political drama.

Susanna Petrosian is a journalist with Noyan Tapan news agency.

AZG Armenian Daily #071, 21/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

THIS BLACK PAGE OF TURKEY SHOULD BE DEFINITELY CONDEMNED

Interview with Giacomo Gorini, Italian Consul to Trabizon in 1915

This interview was published in the August 27-28 issues of 1915 of
the Italian Messaggero and highlights the inner situation of the
Ottoman Empire. By the end of the interview, Giacomo Gorini also
touches upon the violence committed against the Armenians. This extract
was republished in the October 15 issue of 1915 of the Turin based
“Armenia” monthly.

– In the end I would like you to say whether the publications about
the violence against the Armenians in the Ottoman Turkey are true?

– In different vilayets (regions) the Armenians are being tortured
in various ways. They are prosecuted and suspected everywhere. They
are undergoing real massacres that are even worse than the genocide.
Unfortunately, the five most important and Armenian-populated vilayets
(7 vilayets) are under the legacy of my consulate. I mean Trabizon,
Erzroum, Van, Bitlis and Svaz. In my territories, since June 24,
they began exiling all the Armenians and deport them to the farther
parts of the country. Only few of them managed to reach Mesopotamia,
while the majority of them were killed with incredible cruelty.

The official instructions were given from very Constantinople,
by the central authorities and Union and Progress Party. The local
authorities, even the Muslims, try to resist, to soften the measures,
to set free or hide the Armenians, but everything was in vain. The
instructions given by the central authorities were strictly confirmed
and everybody should have obeyed and followed them.

Our consulate tried to save the children and the women, at least. But
the local bodies of Union and Progress Party broke many promises given,
as the orders came from Constantinople. Real genocide and massacre
of the innocent residents was carried out. That was an unprecedented
case, a black page, an open prosecution of the sacred rules of the
humanity, of Christianity and national identity. Even the Armenian
Catholics that used to be respected and could evade prosecutions and
massacres, were prosecuted in the extremely brutal ways by the order
of the central powers.

When I was to depart only a hundred of Armenians were left from
over 14.000 Gregorian, Catholic and Protestant Armenians that never
committed illegal actions or deserved the warnings of the police. Since
June 24, the day that notorious order was published till July 23,
the day of my departure from Trabizon I could neither sleep nor eat,
was deeply depressed. It was a real torture to be present at the
massacre of unarmed and innocent people.

The groups of Armenians were passing under the windows of the
consulate, urging for help, but neither me nor other employees could
do anything for them. 15.000 soldiers, thousands of policemen and
gangs of volunteers, as well as special groups of Union and Progress
Party members kept the city under siege. Tears, sufferings, curses,
many murders, mad people, people dying of fear, fires, shootings,
brutal prosecutions, hundreds of new corpses in the streets each day,
women that were turned to Muslims by force, children kidnapped from
Christian families and schools and given to the Muslim families. Many
people were placed into boats and doused into the Black Sea or the
Dere Mendere River. These are my last and unforgettable memories of
Trabizon that torture my soul.

Let me finish my interview by this and state that this black page of
Turkey’s history should be strictly condemned. If they knew everything
I know, everything I saw with my eyes and heard with my ears, all the
Christian states that occupied neutral positions should unite against
Turkey and condemn its brutal and feral authorities, its barbaric
Union and Progress party, and call their allies for responsibility,
as they stand and help to hide the terrible crime that has no equal
neither in the Ancient nor in the New History.

Disgrace, Terror and Humiliation.

By Aramayis Baloyan in Rome

Pressure group protests Armenians’ planned visit

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 20 2005

Baku, April 19, AssA-Irada — The Garabagh Liberation Organization
(GLO) has opposed the planned participation of Armenian delegations
in the 4th intergovernmental conference of the TRACECA International
Commission due in Baku April 21-22.

The participation of Armenians, who have occupied Azerbaijan’s regions
for over 10 years in any event in Baku is unacceptable, the GLO said
in a statement on Tuesday.

“We see the participation of Armenian delegations in the Baku events
as cooperation with aggressor Armenia and turning a blind eye to its
aggression. We can’t urge international organizations to recognize
Armenia as aggressor if we cooperate with this country ourselves.”
The GLO further urged the Azerbaijani government to prevent Armenians’
visit, warning that it won’t allow the Armenian delegation to enter
the country.

“The Azerbaijani government will bear all the responsibility for
possible confrontations,” the statement said.

Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov told journalists on Monday that
Armenians have been invited to the TRACECA conference.*

Armenia extradites US citizen of Armenian descent on US warrant
By Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
April 19, 2005 Tuesday

YEREVAN, April 19 — Armenia has extradited a US citizen of Armenian
descent to the United States.

Armen Barsegyan, former Soviet citizen, is a suspect on charges
of weapons smuggling from Armenia to the United States, the press
service of the US embassy in Yerevan said on Monday. Bersegyan will
be put on trial in the United States this week.

The US side claims that a group of criminals, including Barsegyan,
smuggled small arms and mobile air defence systems to the United
States. David Kelly, US federal prosecutor based in New York, said
that the dealers had acquired the weapons on the territory of Georgia,
Armenia and some other countries of Eastern Europe.

Criminal charges for illegal weapons deals have been brought against
eighteen suspects, including seventeen citizens from different
countries, who have been placed under arrest.

General Grachia Arutyunyan, First Deputy Director of the Armenia
National Security Service under the Armenian government, earlier
declared that the Armenian secret services had no evidence to prove
that the weapons under investigation were first either bought or
stolen in Armenia and then smuggled to the United States.

Armenian envoy, NATO Defence College head discuss cooperation

Arminfo
18 Apr 05

Yerevan, 18 April: Armenia is ready to cooperate with the NATO Defence
College, Armenian ambassador to Italy Ruben Shugaryan said at a meeting
with the commandant of the college, Lt-Gen [Marc] Vankeirsbilck.

During the meeting they discussed establishing contacts between
Armenian military schools and the NATO Defence College, as well as the
possibility of Ruben Shugaryan giving a lecture at the NATO Defence
College on the processes taking place in the South Caucasus region,
the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s information and press department has
told Arminfo news agency.

Lt-Gen Vankeirsbilck, who took over as the commandant of the college
in March 2005, expressed an interest in prospects of developing
cooperation with Armenia. He noted that the college is cooperating
closely with strategic and defence schools of NATO member and partner
countries. The general spoke highly about Armenia’s participation in
various events held at the college.

Shugaryan filled the general in on the current level of relations
between Armenia and NATO, stressing that Armenia is involved in various
NATO programmes and is cooperating with NATO as well as its neighbours,
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The NATO Defence College is the only NATO school in Rome which admits
high-ranking servicemen and diplomats who intend to occupy senior posts
at the NATO headquarters. Starting from 1991, the NATO Defence College
has been admitting representatives of NATO partner states as well.